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HOW  TO   KEEP   BEES 


I'Hotograpn  by  KalfH  SV.  Curtis 
PLATE  I.     BASSWOOD    BLOSSOM 


How  to  Keep  Bees 

A  Handbook  for  the  Use 
of  Beginners 


By 
Anna  Botsford  Comstock,  B.  S, 


With  Illustrations 


Garden  City       New  York 

DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

MCMXI 


Copyright,  1905,  by 

Doubleday,  Page  &  Company 

Published  April,  1905 


All  rights  reserved^  including  that 
of  translation — also  right  of  trans- 
lation into  the  Scandinavian  languages 


PREFACE 

This  book  has  been  prepared  especially  to  meet 
the  needs  of  the  beginner  in  bee-keeping.  It  is  not 
intended  to  be  a  complete  treatise  for  the  pro- 
fessional apiarist,  but  rather  a  handbook  for  those 
who  would  keep  bees  for  happiness  and  honey, 
and  incidentally  for  money.  It  is  hoped,  too,  that 
it  will  serve  as  an  introduction  to  the  more  extended 
manuals  already  in  the  field. 

When  we  began  bee-keeping  we  found  the  wide 
range  of  information  and  varying  methods  given  in 
the  manuals  confusing;  but  a  little  experience  taught 
us  that  bee-keeping  is  a  simple  and  delightful  business 
which  can  be  carried  on  in  a  modest  way  without  a 
great  amount  of  special  training.  After  a  beginning 
has  been  made,  skill  in  managing  the  bees  is  gained 
naturally  and  inevitably,  and  interest  is  then  stimu- 
lated by  the  wider  outlook  which  bewilders  the 
novice. 

For  the  sake  of  simplicity  this  volume  is  restricted 
to  knowledge  gained  in  practical  experience  in  a 
small  apiary;  and  the  writer  has  sought  to  exclude 
from  it  those  discussions  which,  however  enlightening 
to  the  experienced,  are  after  all  but  devious  digres- 
sions from  the  simple  and  straight  path  which  the 
feet  of  the  inexperienced  must  tread  to  success  in 
the  apiary. 


19719 


CONTENTS 


I. 

Why  Keep  Bees 

3 

II. 

How  to  Begin  Bee-Keeping 

8 

III. 

The  Location  and  the  Arrangement  of  the 

Apiary  ....... 

20 

IV. 

The  Inhabitants  of  the  Hive     . 

27 

V. 

The  Industries  of  the  Hive 

50 

VI. 

The  Swarming  of  Bees      .         .         .         . 

64 

VII. 

How  to  Keep  from  Keeping  Too  Many  Bee 

s         73 

VIII. 

The  Hive  and  How  to  Handle  It 

83 

IX. 

Details  Concerning  Honey 

106 

X. 

Extracted  Honey       .... 

"7 

XL 

Points  About  Beeswax 

126 

XII. 

Feeding  Bees 

136 

XIII. 

How  to  Winter  Bees 

145 

XIV. 

Rearing  and  Introducing  Queens 

.        156 

XV. 

Robbing  in  the  Apiary 

.        164 

XVI. 

The  Enemies  and  Diseases  of  Bees  . 

172 

XVII. 

The  Anatomy  of  the  Honey  Bee 

i8i 

XVIII. 

Interrelation  of  Bees  and  Plants 

.        194 

XIX. 

Bee-Keepers  and  Bee-Keeping 

206 

XX. 

Bee-Hunting 

211 

Bibliography   ....... 

215 

Index 

219 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Plate  I. — ^Basswood  blossom  .  .      Frontispiece 

Observation  hives  .         .         .     Page  2 

Plate  II.— (a)  Two   flat   section   boxes    ^^"^°  ^^^= 
(6)  Corneil  smoker       ....       14 

Plate  III. — (a)  Dixie  bee-brush,  spur  wire- 
embedder  and  Van  Deusen  wax-tube 
fastener.  (6)  A  super  with  fences,  (c) 
The  Porter  bee-escape  in  a  honey-board       15 

Plate  IV.     Hives  well  shaded  by  a  tree       .      26 

Plate  V.     (a)  Queen;     drone;     worker. 

(h)  Queen  cell,     (c)   Miller's  queen  in- 
troducing cage 27 

Plate  VI.  Head  of  drone;  head  of  queen; 
head  of  worker;  ventral  surface  of 
worker  showing  plates  of  wax      .         .       30 

Plate  VII.  Legs  and  antennae  of  the  honey- 
bee        31 

Plate  VIII.     Drone  cells  in  a  comb  of  honey.        50 

Plate  IX.     Side   of  hive   removed   showing 

the  bees  at  work         ....      51 

Plate  X.  Bees  hanging  in  a  curtain  secret- 
ing wax 62 

Plate  XI.     Hiving    bees;     cutting    down    a 

swarm 63 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS— Co/i^mweci 


FACING    PAGB 


Plate  XII.  (a)  Two  self-spacing  frames. 
(6)  An  empty  super,  (c)  The  Doolittle 
division-board  feeder    ...  .90 

Plate  XIII.     Examining  the  brood-frames     .       91 

Plate  XIV.  (a)  Alley's  queen  and  drone 
trap,  (b)  A  well-filled  section,  (c) 
One  empty  section  holder,  and  one 
filled  with  section  boxes       .         .         .106 

Plate  XV.     One  and  a  half  story  hive  for 

comb  honey 107 

Plate  XVI.  Drone  and  Queen  trap;  queen 
maihng  and  introducing  cage;  queen- 
protector  and  queen-cage  used  in  queen- 
rearing,  and  bee-escape        .         .         .110 

Plate  XVIL     "In  apple-blossom  time"        .     Ill 

Plate  XVIII.  (a)  Taking  off  upper  story  of 
hive  containing  combs  for  extracting. 
(6)  Extracting-room  showing  apparatus 
for  extracting  honey     .         .         .         .122 

Plate  XIX.  (a)  Uncapping  comb  before 
extracting  the  honey.  (6)  Placing  un- 
capped comb  in  one  of  the  pockets  of 
the   extractor 123 

Plate  XX.  (a)  Drawing  honey  from  ex- 
tractor, (b)  Pouring  extracted  honey 
into  keg  for  shipping  in  bulk     .         .         126 

Plate  XXL  (a)  Extracted  honey  in  pails, 
candied,  (b)  Extracted  honey  in  glass 
jars  ready  for  market     .         .        .         .127 

Plate  XXII.     Winter  quarters  in  chaff-hives  .     154 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS— Concluded 

FACING  PAGB 

Plate  XXIII.     Plum    blossoms    .         .        .155 
Plate  XXIV.     Sumac  in  blossom.      Blossom 

of  mountain  maple  .  .  .  .184 
Plate  XXV.  Fig.  1.  Vertical  longitudinal 
section  of  the  body  of  a  larva  of  an 
insect.  Fig.  2.  Section  of  the  body-wall 
of  insect.  Fig.  3.  Head  of  a  bee  and 
its  appendages.  Fig.  4.  Glands  of  a 
honey-bee.  Fig.  5.  The  wax  plates  .  185 
Plate  XXVI .  (a)  The  reproductive  organs 
of  the  honey-bee.  (6)  Fig.  1.  The 
internal  anatomy  of  the  honey-bee. 
Fig.  2.   The  respiratory  system  of  the 

honey-bee 192 

Plate  XXVII.     An  old-fashioned  apiary       .     193 
Plate  XXVIII.     (a)  Thorn-apple    blossoms. 

(6)  Wild  crab-apple  blossoms       .         .198 
Plate  XXIX.     Buckwheat  in  blossom    .         .199 
Plate  XXX.     Box-elder,  staminate  and   pis- 
tillate   flowers       .        .         .        .         .     210 
Plate  XXXI.     Blossoms  of  black  locust       .    211 


HOW  TO   KEEP   BEES 


An  ordinary  beehive  made  into  an  observation-hive  by  inserting  glass  panes  in 
sides  and  putting  a  glass  sheet  under  the  wooden  cover.    (From  V.  L.  Kellogg.) 


An  observation-hive  holding  only  two  frames,  wth  the  two  sides  wholly  of  glass, 
so  that  any  single  bee  can  be  continuously  watched.     (Form  V.  L.  Kellogg.) 


CHAPTER  I 

WHY  KEEP  BEES 

The  reasons  for  keeping  bees  are  many  and  various ; 
for  it  is  an  industry  as  many-sided  as  the  cells  of 
a  honey-comb,  one  of  its  chief  charms  being  that 
it  appeals  equally  to  "many  men  of  many  minds." 
To  know  all  the  reasons  why  one  should  keep  bees 
one  must  be  conversant  with  the  history  of  man;  he 
must  be  familiar  with  the  Vedas  of  India  and  master 
of  the  hieroglyphics  of  ancient  Egypt;  he  must  study 
the  life  of  the  common  people  in  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures and  the  classic  literatures  of  Greece  and  Italy, 
and  must  be  able  to  translate  into  terms  of  common 
human  experiences  the  myths  and  legends  of  diverse 
peoples.  For  bees  have  been  a  part  of  the  conscious 
life  of  man  from  the  beginning.  Not  only  have  they 
sweetened  his  daily  bread  with  beneficent  honey,  but 
they  have  had  their  place  in  his  religious  rites,  and 
also  in  his  family  observances,  as  millions  of  happy 
lovers  may  attest  who  have  experienced  the  "honey- 
moon." However,  lacking  the  erudition  necessary 
to  enumerate  all,  the  author  of  this  book  is  quite 
content  to  mention  a  few  of  the  more  cogent  reasons 
why  anyone  should,  in  this  day  and  generation, 
undertake  the  keeping  of  bees 

iMMui  vaatuBt 

W.CSMtColkg§ 


4  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

One  may  keep  bees  for  the  sake  of  the  honey, 
which  is  a  most  legitimate  and  fit  reason.  Honey  is 
a  wholesome  and  delicious  addition  to  the  family 
table.  Though  it  is  a  luxury,  yet  it  may  be  afforded 
by  one  living  in  moderate  circumstances,  if  he  be 
willing  to  give  a  modicum  of  time  and  care  to  the 
happy  little  creatures  that  gladly  make  it  for  him, 
free  of  all  expense.  But  for  the  one  possessed  of 
great  wealth,  and  able  to  corner  the  honey-market 
any  day,  there  is  sure  delight,  as  well  as  education,  in 
raising  his  own  honey.  Any  person  of  experience 
well  knows  that  the  honey  made  by  one's  own  bees 
has  quality  and  flavour  superior  to  that  made  by 
other  people's  bees.  In  fact,  the  only  way  to  become 
a  connoisseur  of  honey  is  to  keep  bees,  for  thus 
only  may  one  learn  to  discriminate  between  honey 
made  from  basswood  and  that  gathered  from  clover; 
or  to  distinguish,  at  first  taste,  the  product  of  orchard 
in  bloom  from  that  drawn  from  vagrant  blossoms, 
which,  changing  day  by  day,  mark  the  season's 
processional.  He  who  has  once  kept  bees  and  be- 
come an  artist  in  honey-flavours,  would  never  again, 
willingly,  become  a  part  of  the  world  at  large,  which, 
in  its  dense  ignorance,  dubs  all  white  honey  **  bass- 
wood"  or  ''clover"  indiscriminately,  and  believes 
all  dark  honey  is  gathered  from  buckwheat. 

Some,  perhaps,  might  keep  bees  for  the  sake  of 
making  money.  For  him  who  would  get  rich  keeping 
bees,  this  book  manifestly  is  not  written;  its  title 
explains  that  it  is  meant  to  show  how  to  keep  bees, 
and  not  how  to  make  bees  keep  him.  The  person  who 


WHY  KEEP  BEES  5 

would,  from  the  first,  make  bee-keeping  his  chief 
work  should  receive  his  training  in  a  large  apiary. 
As  a  vocation  it  demands  the  entire  time  and  energy 
of  a  shrewd  and  able  person  to  insure  success;  of 
such,  America  already  has  a  great  number,  with 
yearly  incomes  varying  from  $1,000  to  $10,000. 
However,  the  desire  to  make  the  bees  keep  them- 
selves and  add  more  or  less  to  the  family  income  is  a 
practical  and  sensible  reason  for  keeping  bees. 
Fifteen  or  twenty  colonies  may  be  managed  with 
comparatively  little  time  and  attention  and  the  work 
may  be  done  largely  by  women  or  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  the  household.  If  proper  care  be  given  to 
such  an  apiary,  it  will  prove  of  material  benefit  to  the 
family  purse;  for,  if  the  season  be  favourable,  the 
product  of  one  colony  should  net  the  owner  from 
four  to  ten  dollars.  We  know  of  boys  who  have  thus 
earned  their  college  expenses ;  and  many  women  have 
bought  immunity  from  the  drudgery  of  the  kitchen 
with  money  paid  them  for  their  crops  of  honey.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  honey-money  is  not 
obtained  without  thought,  energy,  and  some  hard 
work.  The  bees  would  have  been  less  beneficent 
to  mankind  had  they  bestowed  honey  without  de- 
manding a  return  in  care  and  labour. 

Many  have  kept  bees  as  a  recreation,  and  there  is 
none  better.  It  gives  delightful  and  absorbing  oc- 
cupation in  the  open  air  and  is  not  merely  a  rest  from 
mental  and  sedentary  labours,  but  is  a  stimulus  to 
health  and  strength  as  well.  In  the  various  bee 
journals  are  recorded  testimonials  from  thousands 


6  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

who,  when  tired,  ill,  and  nervously  worn  out,  began 
bee-keeping,  and  through  it  regained  vigour  and 
found  a  new  interest  in  life.  Notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  bees  have  honest  stings,  they  can  work  the 
miracle  of  changing  a  dyspeptic  pessimist  into  a 
cheerful  optimist  with  a  rapidity  and  completeness 
that  merits  our  highest  admiration. 

A  love  for  natural  science  is  a  very  good  reason  for 
keeping  bees.  Nowhere  are  there  more  fascinating 
problems  for  the  investigator  than  those  still  unsolved 
in  the  hive.  Of  all  the  lower  animals,  bees  are,  per- 
haps, the  most  highly  developed  in  certain  ways; 
and  it  is  more  probable  that  the  mysteries  of  the 
eternal  heavens  and  the  distant  stars  be  made  plain 
than  that  we  ever  learn  the  truths  that  underlie  the 
development  of  the  ''Spirit  of  the  Hive." 

Another  reason  for  keeping  bees  is  the  insight  to 
be  gained  therefrom  into  the  conditions  of  perfect 
communism.  The  bees  and  their  relatives  are  the 
most  intelligent  and  consistent  socialists  that  have 
yet  been  developed  in  this  world;  and,  through 
studying  their  ways,  one  may  discern  with  startling 
clearness  how  the  perfect  socialism  grinds  off  all 
the  projecting  corners  of  the  individual  until  it  fits 
perfectly  in  its  communal  niche.  In  the  hive  indi- 
vidual traits,  as  exemplified  in  kindness,  selfishness, 
love  and  hate,  are  moved  up  a  notch  in  the  scale  and 
characterise  the  whole  community,  even  though 
they  are  eliminated  from  its  members.  If  one  is 
a  social  philosopher,  he  may  become  very  wise, 
indeed,  by  studying  the  results  of  the  laws  of  socialism 


WHY  KEEP  BEES  7 

which  have  been  executed  inexorably  through  count- 
less centuries  in  the  bee  commune. 

Last,  but  by  no  means  least,  one  may  keep  bees 
because  they  belong  to  home  life  and  should  have 
place  in  every  well-kept  garden  or  orchard.  There 
is  no  more  beautiful  domestic  picture  to  be  found  in 
the  world  than  a  fine  garden  with  a  row  of  holly- 
hocks hiding  the  boundary  fence  and  affording  a 
fitting  background  for  a  neat  row  of  white  hives.  It 
is  not  alone  the  aesthetic  beauty  the  bees  bring  to  the 
garden  which  touches  the  deeper  currents  of  feeling 
and  is  productive  of  profound  satisfaction ;  it  is  some- 
thing more  fundamental;  for  since  the  thyme  of 
Hymettus  yielded  nectar,  the  happy  hum  of  the  bee 
has  yielded  comfort  to  the  human  senses.  The 
garden  without  bees  seems  ever  to  lack  something; 
mayhap,  the  silent  longing  of  the  flowers  for  their 
friendly  visitors,  intangible  but  real,  so  permeates 
the  place  that  we  are  dimly  conscious  of  it.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  the  perfect  garden  can  only  be  attained 
through  the  presence  of  happy  and  populous  bee- 
hives. 


CHAPTER  II 
HOW  TO    BEGIN    BEE-KEEPING 

THE  VARIOUS    WAYS    OF   BEGINNING 

There  are  so  many  ways  of  beginning  this  inter- 
esting work  that  no  classic  way  obtains.  Many 
people  have  received  the  stimulus  from  a  swarm  of 
bees,  escaped  from  some  apiary,  which  has  alighted 
on  a  tree  or  bush  on  the  premises,  and  which  seemed 
too  much  like  a  gift  of  the  gods  to  be  ignored.  In 
fact,  no  one  with  blood  in  him  would  do  otherwise 
under  such  circumstances  than  to  hunt  up  a  soap- 
box or  a  nailkeg  and,  with  an  intrepidity  amounting 
almost  to  heroism,  place  it  under  the  cluster  and 
shake  the  bees  into  it.  Then,  if  the  swarm  feels 
content,  the  fact  is  accomplished ;  and  the  involuntary 
owner  finds  a  new  interest  in  life,  and  enthusiastically 
becomes  a  bee-keeper.  This  is  an  excellent  and 
inexpensive  way  to  begin,  and  for  all  who  are  thus 
favoured  it  is  by  far  the  best  way.  But  one  may 
wait  many  years  before  this  happens,  and  after  all 
there  are  other  and  more  direct  methods.  The 
best  way  is  to  begin  by  wishing  sincerely  to  keep 
bees,  and  then  to  adopt  one  of  the  following  plans: 

The  cheapest  way  is  to  visit  the  nearest  neighbour 
8 


HOW  TO  BEGIN  BEE-KEEPING         9 

who  keeps  bees,  and  buy  of  him  a  swarm,  which  will 
cost,  perhaps,  two  or  three  dollars.  If  the  neighbour 
be  a  good  apiarist,  this  may  be  an  excellent  method, 
for  he  will  give  practical  advice  and  be  a  most  helpful 
friend  in  time  of  future  diflSculties  and  doubts; 
he  will  also  explain  appliances  and  make  the  labours 
and  perplexities  of  the  beginner  much  smoother. 
Besides  these  advantages,  it  is  a  help  to  neighbour- 
liness, for  keeping  bees  is  almost  as  close  a  bond  be- 
tween two  neighbours  as  an  interest  in  golf  or 
automobiles,  and  has  a  much  broader  and  more 
philosophical  basis. 

Of  course,  the  bees  may  be  bought  at  any  time  of 
the  year  convenient,  but  the  early  spring  is  the 
best  season  for  beginning,  for  then  one  has  the  ad- 
vantage of  increase  by  swarms.  If  one  is  ingenious 
and  inventive,  one  may  easily  construct  other  hives 
like  the  one  bought;  but  there  are  other  things 
needed  which  may  be  obtained  cheaper  and  better 
from  firms  that  sell  apiarists'  supplies.  However, 
we  are  acquainted  with  several  apiarists  who  furnish 
all  of  their  own  supplies  except  the  sections  for  comb- 
honey,  the  wax  foundations,  the  smoker,  the  cartons 
and  the  honey-extractor. 

The  usual  way  of  beginning  is  to  send  to  some  of 
the  dealers  in  bee-keepers'  supplies  for  a  catalogue 
and  to  invest  in  a  library  of  bee  books.  There  is 
something  most  fascinating  about  these  books 
written  by  bee-keepers,  for  no  one  makes  a  success  of 
bee-keeping  unless  he  loves  the  bees;  and  if  he  loves 
bees  he  writes  of  them  so  persuadingly,  and  his  lines 


10  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

are  so  full  of  insidious  allusions  to  the  enchantments 
of  the  occupation,  that  whoever  reads  one  of  these 
volumes  finds  life  arid  without  bees. 

Then  the  catalogue  of  bee-keepers'  supplies  has 
its  own  attractions.  Never  were  such  breathlessly 
interesting  pamphlets  written;  and  I  would  add 
that,  on  the  whole,  they  are  the  most  honest  and 
reliable  of  all  advertising  catalogues.  They  almost 
invariably  give  good  and  sensible  advice  to  beginners, 
suggesting  proper  outfits  at  moderate  prices.  To 
the  would-be  bee-keeper  these  catalogues  are  so 
delightful  that,  if  the  purse  is  long  enough,  he  feels 
inclined  to  order  a  specimen  of  everything  listed. 
However,  this  is  not  the  best  way  to  do.  A  moderate 
number  of  things  can  be  ordered  at  first,  and  other 
things  may  be  ordered  later  as  the  growing  sense  of 
their  need  develops. 

If  one  is  minded  to  go  into  bee-keeping  as  a 
regular  business,  the  best  way  to  begin  is  to  spend  a 
year  with  a  successful  bee-keeper,  working  for  him 
and  with  him  and  paying  for  the  tuition,  whatever 
may  be  charged.  Thus  one  may  gain  his  knowledge 
of  the  business  and  get  his  practical  training  under 
the  guidance  of  experience.  The  very  worst  way 
to  begin,  and  one  that  is  sure  to  result  in  disaster,  is 
to  buy  a  large  number  of  colonies  at  first.  This  is 
a  too  expensive  way  of  learning  the  extent  of  one's 
own  ignorance  and  limitations  as  a  bee-keeper. 

As  we  have  begun  keeping  bees  three  times  in  the 
course  of  our  lives,  we  feel  more  or  less  competent  to 
give  advice  about  this  special  phase  of  bee-keeping. 


HOW  TO  BEGIN  BEE-KEEPING       11 

We  first  began  when  we  were  children  and  two 
swarms  were  bestowed  upon  us  by  an  uncle  who 
moved  away  from  the  neighbourhood.  This  was 
long  before  the  idea  of  supers  and  box  comb-honey 
had  been  thought  of.  We  were  among  the  first 
to  adopt  the  old  glass-sided  super  when  it  was 
introduced.  The  second  and  third  times  we 
purchased  our  outfit  of  a  dealer  in  apiarists'  supplies, 
and  both  of  these  beginnings  were  good  and  suc- 
cessful; so  perhaps  the  best  way  to  tell  others  how  to 
begin  is  to  describe  how  we  began.  The  following 
is  the  order  which  we  sent  to  a  dealer. 

A  BEGINNER'S  ORDER 

One  colony  of  bees,  in  an  eight-frame,  dovetailed, 
chaff  hive  with  a  deep  telescope  cover,  and  with  a 
tested  Italian  queen. 

Two  complete  supers  ready  for  use,  with  4J  x  4J  x 
1^  plain  sections. 

One  super  cover. 

Three  extra  IJ-story  chaff  hives  uniform  with  the 
above,  and  with  super  covers. 

One  standard  Corneil  smoker. 

One  bee-veil. 

One  pair  bee-gloves. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  sections,  plain,  no  bee- 
way,  4J  X  4i  X  1  J. 

One  pound  medium  brood  foundation. 

Two  pounds  thin  super  foundation. 

One  Daisy  foundation-fastenero 


12  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

One  Van  Deusen  wax-tube  fastener. 
One  J-pound  spool  No.  30,  tinned  wire. 
One  Porter  bee-escape,  with  board. 
One  Manum's  swarm-catcher. 
One  Dixie  bee-brush. 
One  DooHttle  division-board  feeder. 
One  Alley's  queen  and  drone  trap. 

• 

NOTES   ON  A   BEGINNER'S   ORDER 

THE   BEES 

The  selection  of  the  bees  is  the  first  and  most  im- 
portant consideration,  since  race  and  heredity 
determine  to  so  great  an  extent  the  bee's  efficiency 
and  disposition. 

The  consensus  of  opinion  to-day  is  in  favour  of  the 
Italian  bees;  this  is  so  much  so  that  the  other  races, 
except  the  German,  are  hardly  on  the  general 
market  in  America.  Taking  all  points  into  con- 
sideration, the  Italian  has  a  higher  average  of  sat- 
isfactory qualities  than  has  any  of  the  other   races. 

Our  earliest  experiences  were  with  the  ordinary 
black  German  bees,  and  it  was  through  them  that 
we  first  learned  to  love  bees,  although  their  nervous- 
ness and  their  unhappy  habit  of  considering  us  in- 
truders when  we  neared  their  domain  were  always 
somewhat  embarrassing,  and  made  us  feel  like 
James  Whitcomb  Riley's  visiting  base-ball  team, 
that  "we  weren't  so  welcome  as  we  aimed  to  be." 
Therefore,  when  we  decided  to  buy  bees,  we  un- 


HOW  TO  BEGIN  BEE-KEEPING       13 

hesitatingly  ordered  Italians.  These  are  much 
more  gentle  and  friendly  than  the  others,  and  it  is 
one  of  our  greatest  pleasures  to  be  on  good  terms 
with  our  bee-folk.  Under  all  ordinary  circumstances 
the  Italian  bees  are  not  only  tolerant  of  human 
interference,  but  are  sweet  tempered  and  optimistic, 
believing  that  we  mean  well  by  them;  and  one  can- 
not work  with  them  without  learning  to  love  them. 

If  one  begins  bee-keeping  in  the  spring,  some 
money  can  be  saved  by  buying  a  nucleus  and  tested 
queen,  instead  of  a  full  colony  of  bees.  A  nucleus 
in  bee-keeping  parlance  is  a  small  colony  with  only 
one,  two,  or  three  frames.  The  colony  should  be 
large  enough  to  build  combs  with  sufficient  rapidity 
to  keep  the  queen  fairly  busy,  so  as  not  to  encourage 
in  her  the  habit  of  loafing,  and  so  that  too  much  tim^e 
shall  not  be  required  to  build  up  a  full  colony.  Two 
frames  with  about  a  quart  of  bees  will  accomplish 
this  well. 

Such  a  nucleus  as  this  in  a  hive,  with  a  division 
board  on  either  side  of  the  two  adjacent  frames, 
can  be  soon  built  up  into  a  full  colony  if  there  is 
plenty  of  nectar  and  pollen  to  be  had.  A  division 
board  is  a  solid  board  of  the  shape  of  the  frame, 
but  a  little  larger  so  that  it  is  close-fitting  in  the 
hive.  The  frame  should  be  watched  closely,  and 
as  soon  as  the  comb  is  filled  with  brood,  and  there 
are  enough  bees  to  cover  the  brood  well,  another 
frame  filled  with  brood  foundation  should  be  added ; 
this  should  be  continued  until  the  hive  is  filled  with 
frames. 


14  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

A  TESTED   QUEEN 

As  the  queen  is  the  mother  of  the  whole  colony,  her 
powers  for  transmittmg  a  kind  disposition  and 
superior  honey-making  qualities  are  of  the  greatest 
importance.  It  is  essential,  therefore,  to  know  that 
the  queen,  which  is  to  serve  as  a  foundation  for  the 
apiary,  has  mated  with  a  drone  of  the  desired  race. 
A  tested  queen  is  one  that  has  been  kept  until  some 
of  her  offspring  have  been  reared.  The  colour  of 
these  will  indicate  whether  the  queen  has  mated  with 
a  drone  of  her  own  race. 

THE   HIVE 

Next  to  choosing  the  bees  comes  the  selection  of 
the  hive,  for  there  are  several  kinds  of  hives  in  gen- 
eral use,  and  all  of  them  are  apparently  good.  We 
chose  the  Langstroth  hive  because  its  merits  are 
attested  by  the  fact  that  it  is  more  largely  used  than 
all  others  taken  together.  We  chose  the  eight-frame 
in  preference  to  the  ten-frame  form  because  we 
wished  to  produce  comb-honey,  and  it  is  easier  to 
induce  bees  to  store  surplus  in  the  sections  when  the 
brood-chamber  is  small.  If  one  wishes  to  produce 
extracted  honey,  the  ten-frame  hive  is  the  better 
one.  We  ordered  the  more  expensive  chaff  hives, 
as  we  wished  to  save  the  trouble  of  moving  the  bees 
into  winter  quarters;  and  we  think  this  would  be 
the  case  with  anyone  with  whom  bee-keeping  is  an 
avocation  instead  of  a  vocation.     In  fact  many  peo- 


(a)     The  Dixie  bee-brush,  spur  wire-embedder,  aid  Van  Deusen 
wax-tube  fastener. 


(l>)     A  super  with  fences  and  two  rows  of  section-boxes  in  place; 
a  separate  fence. 


■1' 


PLATE  III.     (0     The  Porter  bc- 


i\  a  honey-buard. 


HOW  TO  BEGIN  BEE-KEEPING       15 

pie  who  make  bee-keeping  their  principal  business 
prefer  chaff  hives,  for  they  not  only  keep  out  the 
cold  in  winter,  but  also  protect  the  bees  from  the 
heat  in  summer.  The  objections  to  them  are  that 
they  are  heavy  to  handle  and  are  expensive,  though 
the  expense  can  be  reduced  considerably  if  one  has 
the  ability  to  make  them.  Another  thing  we  like 
about  the  chaff  hives  is  that  they  are  fine  and  dig- 
nified in  appearance,  and  we  find  that  their  majestic 
proportions,  white  and  beautiful,  set  against  the 
background  of  our  larches,  add  much  to  our  con- 
scious pleasure  every  time  we  look  upon  our  apiary. 
We  ordered  a  deep  telescope  cover,  as  we  wished 
room  for  two  supers  on  the  hive  at  once. 

The  hive-stand  we  ourselves  made  from  lumber 
taken  from  dry-goods  boxes.  It  is  simply  a  smooth 
platform,  six  inches  wider  than  the  hive  on  three 
sides  and  extending  about  a  foot  out  in  front  of  the 
hive,  thus  serving  as  an  alighting-board. 

TWO   COMPLETE   SUPERS 

We  knew  that  we  would  need  these  very  soon, 
for  the  basswood  harvest  was  imminent  ;  we 
ordered  them  ready  for  use,  as  we  wished  to  see 
all  the  ''new  wrinkles''  in  supers,  and  exactly  how 
the  parts  are  arranged.  We  used  the  supers  as 
models  later  in  putting  together  and  fitting  other 
supers.  This  proved  a  wise  precaution,  as  it  saved 
us  much  time  in  reading  directions  and  studying 
out  independently  the  arrangement  of  parts.     We 


16  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

ordered  4J  x  4}  x  1 J  sections,  as  this  is  the  size  most 
generally  used,  and  we  chose  the  no-beeway,  or 
*' plain"  style,  because  we  think  it  presents  a  better 
appearance  when  filled  with  honey.  We  will  return 
to  this  question  in  Chapter  VIII. 

THREE   EXTRA  HIVES 

We  wished  to  have  these  on  hand  for  any  swarms 
which  might  possibly  issue. 

ONE  STANDARD  CORNEIL  SMOKER 

I  do  not  know  just  why  we  chose  this  of  the  many 
excellent  smokers,  but  perchance  the  name  called 
to  mind  happy  experiences  with  sundry  Cornell 
smokers  of  quite  a  different  feather,  and  we  were 
thus  favourably  disposed  toward  this  one.  It  has 
not  disappointed  us  in  the  least,  for  it  is  both  handy 
and  practical.  It  may  seem  an  unfriendly  act  to 
smoke  one*s  own  bee-people,  but  a  little  smoke 
wisely  applied  is  as  efficacious  in  preserving  pleasant 
relations  with  the  bees,  as  was  the  smoke  from  the 
pipe  of  peace  in  preserving  similar  relations  between 
our  forefathers  and  the  savages.     (Plate  I.) 

ONE   BEE-VEIL 

The  senior  partner  of  our  apiary  rarely  uses  a 
veil,  but  when  he  does  use  one  he  needs  it  very  much, 
and  it  is  an  article  necessary  to  have  at  hand.  To 
the  beginner  it  gives  a  calmness  of  nerve  and  a  sur- 
plus of  courage  which  are  highly  desirable  when  deal- 
ing with  such  high-strung  creatures  as  bees.     Also 


HOW  TO  BEGIN  BEE-KEEPING       17 

there  always  occur  times  during  the  year  when  the 
bee-tempers  are  on  edge  for  some  reason  or  other; 
and  at  such  times,  if  one  be  intrenched  behind  a  bee- 
veil,  it  facilitates  work  and  encourages  a  serene 
spirit. 

ONE   PAIR  OF  BEE-GLOVES 

While  we  do  not  use  these  ordinarily,  yet  when 
we  have  some  special  work  to  do  which  involves 
changing  many  bees  from  one  location  to  another, 
we  find  these  gloves  most  convenient  to  keep  the 
disturbed  little  citizens  from  crawling  up  our  sleeves, 
thus  saving  both  them  and  ourselves  from  a  most 
embarrassing  situation. 

250   SECTIONS 

Only  a  small  supply  of  sections  was  ordered,  as 
but  few  would  be  needed  the  first  year  in  addition  to 
those  in  the  two  complete  supers.     (Plate  11.) 

ONE  POUND   BROOD-FOUNDATION 

This  was  for  use  in  the  frames  in  the  extra  hives. 

TWO    POUNDS    THIN    SUPER-FOUNDATION 

This  was  for  use  in  the  sections. 

ONE  DAISY   FOUNDATION-FASTENER 

In  the  early  days  of  our  bee-keeping  we  fastened 
the  foundation  into  the  sections  and  frames  with  a 
common  kitchen-knife  which  we  heated  "over  a  lamp 
and  then  applied  to  the  edge  of  the  wax  foundation 
held  against  the  section,  thus  melting  it  and  pressing 


18  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

it  fast  to  the  wood.  Afterward  we  used  a  Parker 
fastener,  and  found  it  a  great  improvement  over  the 
primitive  method.  But  this  Daisy  foundation- 
fastener  as  described  in  the  catalogue  appealed  to 
the  modern  spirit  in  us.  Wien  we  tried  to  use  the 
machine,  we  were  bitterly  disappointed  at  the  end 
of  five  minutes,  but  that  was  because  the  iron  was 
not  hot  enough  to  properly  melt  the  wax.  After  a 
little  we  learned  to  hold  the  foundation  on  the  plate 
just  long  enough  to  melt  it  to  a  proper  consistency 
so  that  it  adhered  to  the  section  as  soon  as  it  was 
dropped  upon  it.  Then  it  was  that  filling  sections 
was  placed  on  the  list  of  sports.  The  rapidity  with 
which  we  filled  four  dozen  sections  almost  took  our 
breath  away. 

ONE   VAN   DEUSEN   WAX-TUBE   FASTENER 

This  was  ordered  under  the  impression  that  it 
would  be  needed  for  fastening  the  foundation  in  the 
brood-frames,  but  when  the  hives  came  we  found 
that  a  much  better  method  of  fastening  the  founda- 
tions had  been  devised.  This  is  described  in  Chap- 
ter VIII.     (Plate  HI.) 

TINNED   WIRE 

This  is  used  for  strengthening  the  foundation  in 
the  brood-frames,  as  described  later. 

ONE   PORTER   BEE-ESCAPE 

The  Porter  bee-escape  is  a  simple  and  most  use- 
ful device.  It  is  set  in  a  thin  board  just  the  size  of 
the  top  of  the  hive ;  in  the  middle  is  a  bit  of  tin  which 


HOW  TO  BEGIN  BEE-KEEPING       19 

forms  a  round  pit  on  the  upper  side.  The  bees 
descend  into  this  pit,  and,  trying  to  get  out,  push 
apart  two  strips  of  tin  set  at  angles  to  each  other, 
fastened  at  the  ends,  which  act  like  a  valve,  letting 
the  bee  out  but  not  permitting  her  to  push  back. 
This  is  put  between  the  super  and  the  hive  in  order 
to  free  the  super  of  bees  before  removing  the  honey. 
This  escape  is  also  used  on  the  doors  and  windows 
of  workshops  or  extracting-rooms  or  other  places 
where  bees  get  in  and  it  is  desirable  to  get  them  out. 
(Plates  III.,  XVIII.) 

THE   MANUM   SWAKM-CATCHER 

We  bought  this  because  we  liked  the  idea  of  it, 
but  as  yet  we  have  never  had  occasion  to  use  it;  how- 
ever, we  never  look  at  its  long  handle  without  being 
filled  with  a  mad  desire  to  try  it  on  a  provoking 
swarm  of  bees  clustered  in  the  top  of  a  cherry  tree. 

ONE   DIXIE   BEE-BRUSH 

This  is  an  exceedingly  useful  instrument  for  brush- 
ing bees  from  frames  and  from  sections.      (Plate  III.) 

ONE   DOOLITTLE   FEEDER 

Bee-keepers  of  extended  experience  consider  this 
the  best  and  most  satisfactory  kind  of  feeder  in  use 
for  small  apiaries.     (Plate  XII.) 

QUEEN   AND   DRONE   TRAP 

This  is  not  a  necessity ;  we  bought  it  in  order  to  try 
experiments  in  preventing  swarming  by  its  use,  and 
also  to  have  on  hand  in  case  an  excess  of  drones  should 
be  developed  in  any  of  our  colonies.     (Plate  XIV.) 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  LOCATION  AND  THE  ARRANGEMENT 

OF  THE  APIARY 

Where  to  put  the  hives  is  the  first  question,  and 
this  must  be  determined  by  two  or  three  conditions 
necessary  for  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  bees. 
Hives  should  be  placed  where  the  sunshine  may 
reach  them  in  the  morning  up  to  eight  or  nine  o'clock, 
and  in  the  afternoon  from  three  to  four  o'clock.  An 
old  orchard  such  as  is  kept  because  of  picturesque 
beauty  rather  than  for  its  crop  of  apples  is  an  ideal 
place.  The  clean-culture  orchards  of  the  modern 
horticulturists  are  undoubtedly  more  efficient  as 
producers  of  apples  and  money;  but  we  are  always 
grateful  that  there  are  still  remaining  many  fine  old 
orchards,  on  sod  ground  where  the  trees,  more  or  less 
gnarled  and  twisted,  are  a  joy  to  the  artistic  eye. 
Little  wonder  that  such  a  place  is  the  ideal  spot  for 
the  apiary;  if  the  hives  are  grouped  four  or  five 
together  beneath  one  tree,  the  requirements  of  shade 
will  be  met. 

Lf  there  is  no  old  orchard,  what  then  ?  A  young 
orchard  will  do,  unless  clean  culture  is  practised;  in 
the  latter  case  horses  and  cultivator  will  not  be  per- 
mitted  on   the   domain   of  the   bee-people»    Jf  no 

20 


LOCATION  OF  THE  APIARY  21 

orchard  offers,  then  a  trelHs  of  vines  extending  east 
and  west,  eight  feet  high,  may  shade  a  few  hives, 
and  may  be  a  thing  of  beauty  in  the  garden  as  well. 
Grape  vines,  hops,  Virginia_creeper,  or  any  other 
rapidly  growing  vines  will  do.  To  the  one  who 
loves  his  garden,  there  will  be  many  ways  suggested 
whereby  the  hives  may  be  placed  to  compass  both 
comfort  for  the  bees  and  joy  to  the  beholder.  We 
started  an  apiary  at  the  north  of  the  lilac  trees,  and 
made  it  a  part  of  the  lawn. 

If  no  such  happy  position  for  natural  shade  is  to 
be  found  for  the  hives,  then  one  must  have  recourse 
to  artificial  shade  or  double-walled  hives.  A  very 
good  method  of  shading,  much  in  vogue  among  the 
farmers  of  our  country,  consists  of  a  few  boards 
placed  awning-fashion  above  the  row  of  hives.  This 
is  not  an  attractive  solution  to  the  problem,  although 
perhaps  it  might  be  made  so  if  this  method  were  ever 
resorted  to  by  anyone  with  a  sense  of  beauty;  but 
usually  it  is  limited  to  a  simple  cover  consisting  of 
two  or  three  boards  nailed  together,  slanting  a  little 
toward  the  back  of  the  hives  to  shed  rain,  supported 
by  four  posts,  which  hold  it  a  foot  or  more  above 
the  row  of  hives. 

In  California  instead  of  boards  a  thatched  roof  is 
made  for  this  sort  of  protection,  and  is  ample  enough 
to  allow  an  aisle  for  the  apiarist  between  the  rows  of 
hives  set  back  to  back. 

Many  people  use  a  single  shade  board,  which 
consists  of  slats  fastened  together  by  cleats  made 
large  enough  to  project  a  foot  beyond  the  hive  on 


22  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

either  side.  This  is  placed  directly  on  top  of  the 
hive,  and  has  to  be  weighted  down  with  stones,  and 
is  therefore  awkw^ard  to  handle  when  working  with 
the  bees.  If  the  climate  is  hot,  or  in  any  case,  a 
double-walled  cover  to  the  hive  is  most  excellent, 
since  it  affords  a  chance  for  free  circulation  of  air 
between  the  two  boards  which  form  it.  However, 
these  double  covers  do  not  obviate  the  need  of  shade, 
and  natural  shade  is  the  most  desirable  sort. 

In  case  the  region  is  exposed  to  high  winds,  there 
should  be  a  windbreak  around  the  apiary.  Mr. 
Root,  who  is  one  of  the  greatest  of  American  bee- 
keepers, uses  for  this  a  row  of  hardy  evergreens 
which  grow  together  into  a  solid  hedge.  In  case  a 
windbreak,  either  natural  or  made,  is  impracticable, 
a  board  fence  about  eight  or  ten  feet  high,  built  on 
two  sides  of  the  apiary,  usually  the  north  and  west 
sides,  will  be  found  to  serve  the  purpose.  This 
fence  may  be  made  the  trellis  for  vines. 

In  the  rear  of  the  village  garden  is  an  excellent 
place  for  bees.  A  high  board  fence  as  a  boundary, 
and  perhaps  a  barn  at  the  side  will  act  as  a  wind- 
break, while  the  fruit  trees  yield  a  grateful  shade. 
We  know  several  such  modest  apiaries  which  are 
most  attractive  in  appearance.  There  are  those 
who  live  in  cities  or  towns  who  are  filled  with  the 
bee-keeper's  ambitions;  and  even  they  need  not 
despair.  There  are  on  record  accounts  of  several 
small  apiaries  kept  on  the  housetops  of  the  owners, 
who  believe  that  roofs  are  for  more  than  mere  pro- 
tection.    Where  bees  kept  thus  get  their  honey  is  a 


LOCATION  OF  THE  APIARY         23 

bee  secret,  but  undoubtedly  every  flower  in  the  region 
yields  them  tribute.  If  bees  be  kept  in  town,  they 
must  be  placed  on  a  roof  or  else  a  high  fence  must 
intervene  between  the  hives  and  the  highway,  so 
that  the  plane  of  bee  flight  shall  be  set  above  the 
heads  of  horses  and  drivers;  for  these  brave  little 
honeymakers  have  never  been  taught  to  turn  to  the 
right,  and  so  they  often  dispute  the  way  with  teams 
and  usually  come  off  victorious ;  and  this  might  make 
the  bee-keeper  unpopular  in  his  community. 

Another  necessity  in  the  apiary  is  that  the  grass  in 
front  of  the  entrance  to  the  hives  be  kept  mown; 
otherwise  many  a  heavily  laden  bee  will  experience 
loss  or  injury  among  interfering  grass  blades.  It  is 
not  practicable,  even  if  one  were  heroic  enough  to 
try  it,  to  run  a  lawn  mower  nearer  than  four  or  five 
inches  from  the  hives,  so  many  bee-keepers  place 
salt^or^j]^^.hes_onJhe  grass  within  this  area.  Mr. 
Root  goes  so  far  as  to  advise  the  use  of  sheep  as 
automatic  lawn  mowers  in  the  apiary,  as  nothing 
else  can  cut  grass  so  short  as  does  the  sheep.  People 
say  "as  silly  as  a  sheep,"  but  that  is  a  silly  saying, 
for  many  people  may  learn  something  of  value  about 
the  management  of  bees  from  the  sheep,  which,  when 
attacked  by  them,  thrusts  its  head  philosophically 
into  a  bush  where  the  bees  cannot  reach  the  tender 
parts,  and  trusts  to  its  wool  to  protect  it  elsewhere. 
As  a  matter  of  experience,  sheep_kept  in  apiaries 
are  rarely  stung  at  all. 

In  our  own  apiary,  where  it  was  not  practical  to 
mow  close  to  the  hives,  we  followed  two  methods: 


24  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

When  we  had  many  bees  we  placed  a  rough  board 
over  the  ground  in  the  immediate  front  of  the  hive; 
when  we  had  only  a  few  swarms,  it  was  one  of  our 
joys  to  get  on  our  knees  on  cold  days,  when  only  a 
few  adventurous  workers  were  going  into  the  field, 
and  with  shears  cut  the  grass  close  to  the  ground; 
and  this  period  spent  on  our  knees  was  not  penance, 
but  joy.  However,  it  might  well  get  to  be  penance 
in  a  large  apiary. 

Having  found  the  place  for  the  apiary,  the  next 
thought  is  of  hive  stands.  Many  bee-keepers  use  a 
hive  that  has  a  combination  bottom  board  and  hive 
stand;  this  has  an  inclined  plane  up  which  the  loaded 
bees  may  climb  if  they  strike  the  ground.  This  is 
a  device  which  also  saves  the  lives  of  many  bees  in 
cool  weather,  when  they  would  scarcely  be  able, 
through  numbness,  to  reach  the  entrance  of  the  hive 
otherwise.  However,  there  are  other  bee  stands 
which  hold  two  or  three  hives,  which  are  very  com- 
fortable in  height  for  the  work  of  the  bee-keeper. 
But  it  is  always  well  to  remember  that  the  opening 
.pf  a  hive  should  be  low  down,  as  it  is  easier  for  the 
weary  wings  to  let  the  honey-weighted  bee  down 
than  to  lift  her  up  to  the  doorway.  We  use  a  simple 
platform,  with  blocks  under  the  corners,  so  that  there 
may  be  circulation  of  air  beneath,  and  extending 
about  a  foot  out  in  front  of  the  hive,  thus  serving  as 
an  alighting  board. 

The  arrangement  of  the  hives  in  the  apiary  is  a 
subject  which  will  pay  for  thought.  When  begin- 
ning, this  is  easy  enough,  as  they  may  be  arranged 


LOCATION  OF  THE  APIARY         25 

almost  any  way,  so  long  as  shade  and  short  grass  are 
assured.  After  the  apiary  grows  they  may  be 
arranged  in  several  convenient  ways;  one  is  to  have 
the  lines  of  hives  facing  each  other,  thus  making  an 
alley  for  the  bees;  while  there  is  a  safe  passageway 
for  the  man  in  the  rear  of  the  two  rows. 

When  there  are  only  a  few  hives,  it  is  best  to  have 
the  entrances  Jace. the.  so^  In  fact,  the  entrance 

should  never  face  northward  in  a  climate  as  cold  as 
that  of  New  York  State.  There  is  one  thing  to  bear 
in  mind  in  arranging  an  apiary;  make  the  groups 
under  the  trees  individual,  so  that  the  bees  will  have 
no  tendency  to  become  confused  as  to  the  location 
of  their  own  homes.  If  two  face  west,  then  let  two 
others  face  east,  or  perhaps  a  group  of  three  face  to 
the  south,  etc. 

When  it  becomes  necessary,  for  any  reason,  to 
change  the  location  of  a  colony,  a  board  should  be 
set  against  the  hive,  in  front  of  its  entrance.  The 
bees,  meeting  this  obstruction  as  they  emerge  from 
the  hive,  will  fly  about  the  hive  for  some  time,  and 
thus  mark  the  new  location,  to  which  they  will  return. 
If  this  precaution  is  not  taken,  many  bees  will  fly 
from  the  hive,  directly  into  the  field,  without  noticing 
the  change,  and  will  then  return  to  the  old  location 
and  thus  be  lost. 

A  honey-house  near  the  apiary  is  a  great  conven- 
ience. If  this  is  not  practicable,  the  next  best  arrange- 
ment is  a  honey-room  in  house,  cellar,  or  shed.  Such 
a  room  is  a  necessity  even  in  a  small  apiary.  This 
room  should  be  well  ventilated  and  screens  should 


26  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

cover  the  windows,  and  a  swinging  automatic  screen 
protect  the  door;  bee-escapes  should  be  placed  in 
door  and  windows. 

The  room  should  contain  workbench  and  tools; 
a  table,  chairs  of  varying  height,  an  oil-stove,  and 
boxes  or  cupboards  in  which  all  of  the  apiary  sup- 
plies, implements,  and  machinery  may  be  stored 
and  kept  ready  for  use. 


Fig.  I 


Fig.  2 


Fig.  3 


#iiit.>f*» 


Fig.  5 


PLATE  V.      /.  Queen  Bee,  enlarged.     2    Drone,     s.  Worker.     4.  Queen 
^ells.     J.     Miller's  Cage  for  Introducing  Queens. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE 

One  of  the  remarkable  peculiarities  of  bees,  which 
is  also  shared  by  other  social  insects,  as  ants,  wasps 
and  termites,  is  that  there  are  three  distinct  kinds  of 
individuals  in  the  community.  For,  in  addition  to 
the  males  and  females,  which  are  the  reproducing 
members  of  the  colony,  there  is  a  third  class  which 
performs  the  labours  of  the  community.  The 
females,  of  which  there  is  usually  only  one  in  a 
colony,  are  known  as  queens;  the  males  as  drones; 
and  the  labourers  as  workers.      (Plate  V.) 

THE    QUEEN      (Plates  V.  VI,  VII) 

The  bee-queen  is  the  acme  of  a  long  line  of  com- 
munistic development.  It  is  little  wonder  that  those 
men  of  ancient  times  who  observed  her,  and  the 
attitude  of  the  other  bees  toward  her,  regarded  her 
as  regal  and  called  her  queen.  But  she  is  a  much 
more  important  element  in  the  perfect  commune 
than  a  mere  sovereign,  since  she  is  the  actual  mother 
of  her  subjects. 

Too  much  care  cannot  be  shown  in  the  selection  of 
the  queen,  or  mother  of  the  bee-colony.  Her  blood 
is  their  blood;  her  faults  are  their  faults;  her  weak- 

27 


28  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

nesses  are  their  weaknesses.  Any  apiarist  is  likely 
to  have  had  two  colonies  side  by  side,  perhaps  each 
equalling  the  other  in  amount  of  brood  and  number 
of  bees,  and  one  may  have  produced  five  dollars' 
worth  of  honey  in  a  season,  while  the  other  did  not 
produce  half  of  that;  and  the  queens  alone  caused 
this  discrepancy.  One  produced  energetic,  capable 
offspring,  while  the  progeny  of  the  other  were  un- 
enterprising. The  offspring  of  one  were  perhaps 
sweet-tempered  and  obliging,  and  those  of  the  other, 
cross  and  cranky.  Thus  it  is  all-important  to  give 
the  colony  a  good  mother.  A  queen,  to  be  perfect, 
should  be  well-bred,  handsome  and  strong,  and 
capable  of  laying  from  two  to  three  thousand  eggs 
per  day  during  the  height  of  the  season,  and  espe- 
cially should  she  have  offspring  possessing  a  kindly 
disposition. 

The  laying  queen  is  a  very  graceful  insect;  her 
body  is  long  and  pointed,  and  extends  far  behind 
the  tips  of  her  closed  wings.  Svelte  is  a  graphic 
word  applied  to  her  figure  by  the  Spectator;  just  a 
glance  at  her  reveals  her  splendid  physical  develop- 
ment and  proves  her  a  queenlier  bee  than  those  that 
gather  around  her.  It  is  a  sight  that  makes  men  feel 
how  very  limited  is  their  knowledge  of  any  other 
world  than  their  own  to  see  the  queen  bee,  surrounded 
by  her  ring  of  attendants,  each  with  head  toward  her, 
as  if  she  were  the  centre  of  a  many-rayed  star. 

The  development  of  the  queen  from  the  egg  has 
ever  been  a  most  interesting  and,  at  the  same  time,  a 
most  puzzling  subject  for  investigation  on  the  part  of 


THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE    29 

the  scientists;  even  now  after  a  century  of  study  her 
growth  is  as  miraculous  as  ever;  and  the  problems  in 
physiology  that  lie  as  yet  unsolved  in  her  development 
will  keep  many  an  investigator  busy  in  the  future. 

When  a  colony  is  queenless,  and  has  young  brood 
or  unhatched  eggs,  it  makes  haste  to  develop  new 
queens;  not  one  alone,  but  several,  since  it  cannot 
afford  to  put  its  *'eggs  all  in  one  basket."  At  the 
height  of  the  honey  season,  every  day  that  a  colony 
is  queenless  means  two  or  three  thousand  less  bees 
than  should  be  present  to  make  it  successful  in 
securing  the  harvest.      (Plate  V.) 

In  developing  a  queen  the  bees  usually  proceed  as 
follows:  They  select  the  important  egg,  which 
differs  in  no  wise  from  any  other  worker  egg,  and 
destroying  the  partitions  between  its  cell  and  two 
adjoining  cells,  give  it  more  room.  In  order  to  make 
the  royal  apartment  of  good  size  a  projection  is  built 
out  over  this  large  cell.  This  is  made  of  thick  wax 
and  ornamented  on  the  outside  with  hexagonal 
fretwork,  as  if  it  were  to  be  the  basis  of  comb  with 
small  cells.  It  seems  as  if  the  hexagonal  pattern 
were  in  the  bee  brain  and  must  be  expressed,  whether 
it  be  of  any  use  or  not.  As  soon  as  the  little  white 
larva  hatches  from  the  egg,  it  is  fed  on  the  regular 
larval  food.  Royal  jelly  is  a  food  developed  in  the 
head  glands  of  the  workers;  and  when  it  is  the 
fate  of  a  bee  larva  to  develop  into  a  worker,  it  is  fed 
with  this  food  for  three  days,  and  then  it  is  weaned  by 
having  other  food  substituted;  but  the  queen  larva 
is  fed  with  it  during  her  entire  development,  and  there- 


30  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

by  her  reproductive  organs  are  stimulated  and  fully 
developed,  which  is  not  the  case  vi^ith  the  workers. 
Think  how  much  farther  advanced  are  the  bees  than 
we,  since,  by  giving  the  proper  food,  they  are  able 
to  develop  and  fit  each  class  of  citizens  to  do*  the 
work  required  of  it  in  the  social  organisation ! 

The  queen  larva  is  fed  for  five  days  on  this  most 
nourishing  food,  and  then  her  cell  is  sealed.  Within 
this  cell  the  royal  princess  is  for  the  first  time  self- 
dependent,  and  weaves  about  herself  a  silken  cocoon 
and  changes  into  a  pupa.  When  she  issues  from 
this  state  she  waits  a  little  until  she  ''finds  herself," 
and  then  starts  to  cut  an  opening  in  the  cell.  She  is 
a  good  mathematician,  and  with  her  jaws,  cuts  a 
circle  very  accurately,  usually  leaving  it  hinged  like 
the  lid  to  a  pot.  Professor  Kellogg  tells  us  that  some- 
times when  she  cuts  this  door,  the  workers  do  n6t 
wish  her  to  come  out.  They  accomplish  their  pur- 
pose by  carrying  wax  and  pasting  it  over  the 
opening  as  fast  as  she  cuts  it,  at  the  same  time 
quite  devotedly  feeding  her  through  a  small  crevice. 
But  if  they  wish  her  to  come  out,  they  rush  to  assist 
her,  and  perhaps  for  two  or  three  days  before  she 
issues,  make  the  wax  thin  where  she  is  to  cut.  It 
usually  requires  sixteen  days  to  develop  a  queen 
from  the  egg  to  the  adult. 

When  a  queen  issues  from  her  cell,  she  is  light- 
coloured  and,  as  her  body  is  not  yet  distended  with 
eggs,  it  is  scarcely  larger  than  that  of  one  of  the 
workers.  Sometimes  she  chooses  to  stay  in  her 
cell  for  a  day  or  two  after  it  is  opened.     When  she 


PLATE  VI.  (Original,  drawn  by  A.  G.  Hammar.)  d,  head  of  drone  ;  q, 
head  of  queen  ;  w,  head  of  worker  ;  x,  ventral  surface  of  worker  showing  plates 
of  wax. 


PLATE  VII.  Legs  and  antenna  of  the  honey-bee  (original  dra^'n  hy  A.  G. 
Hammar).  A  ,  outer  surface  of  liind  leg  showing  the  nine  segments  and  claws  ; 
pb,  the  pollen  basket  r.f  tibia  ;  B,  inner  surface  of  part  of  hind  leg  ;  «'/,  wax- 
pincers;  pc,  pollen-combs;  C,  inner  surface  of  part  of  liind  leg  of  queen;  1), 
inner  surface  of  part  cf  hind  leg  of  drone;  E.  part  of  middle  leg  of  worker:  s, 
spur;  /".part  of  fore  leg  showirg  the  antenna  cleaner  a;  G,  [art  of  antenna 
showing  rense-haiis  and  sense-pits. 


THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE    31 

comes  out,  she  runs  about  over  the  comb,  taking 
exercise  on  her  own  royal  legs,  and  perhaps  taking 
a  little  honey  out  of  the  cells  on  her  own  account; 
especially  does  she  hunt  for  other  queen  cells,  for 
she  has  no  wish  to  share  her  duties  or  honours  with 
another.  If  she  finds  such  a  cell,  she  usually  makes 
a  hole  in  its  side,  and  in  some  way,  she  stings  to 
death  the  hapless  princess  within.  Some  observers 
claim  that  she  merely  takes  the  initiative,  tearing 
down  the  wall  of  the  cell,  and  the  bees  finish  by 
tearing  it  down  as  they  w^ould  any  broken  comb,  and 
destroy  the  inmate  in  the  process.  If,  in  her  prome- 
nade, she  discovers  another  full-grown  queen,  a 
contest  ensues;  it  is  a  duel  to  the  death  and  the 
weapons  are  stings,  which  are  kept  sacred  for  this 
special  occasion.  It  is  interesting  that  the  queen 
reserves  her  weapon  for  her  peers,  and  never  attempts 
to  sting  workers,  and  may  be  handled  fearlessly  by 
the  bee-keeper.  As  the  plate  armour  of  the  bee  is 
so  arranged  that  the  sting  may  enter  in  only  at  certain 
spots,  this  duel  resolves  itself  into  a  fencing  match, 
until  one  thrusts  her  weapon  into  some  vulnerable 
portion  of  the  other.  One  morning  we  found  fifteen 
dead  queens  outside  of  one  of  our  hives;  a  grim 
tribute  to  the  prowess  of  the  queen  within,  and  quite 
as  much  a  tribute  to  our  carelessness  in  letting  so 
many  queens  be  developed  uselessly. 

The  belligerent  attitude  of  the  queens  toward  each 
other  seems  to  have  been  so  strong  an  emotion  that  a 
voice  has  been  developed  to  express  it,  and  is  eloquent 
with  rage  and  fear.     This  note  must  be  heard  to  be 


32  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

understood;  as  nearly  as  I  am  able  to  spell  it,  it  is 
"tse-ep,  tse-e-e-ep,  tse-e-ep,  tsep,  tsp,  tsp,  ts,"  in  a 
sort  of  diminuendo.  She  makes  the  noise  when  she 
discovers  another  queen  cell;  if  there  is  within  this 
cell  a  full-fledged  queen,  she  pipes  back,  but  it 
sounds  quite  differently  and  the  note  is  more  like 
*'quock,  quock."  This  piping  of  queens  is  especially 
evident  before  an  after-swarm  is  to  issue.  The 
queen  will  also  pipe  when  the  bees  gather  about  her 
and  try  to  ball  her,  which  is  often  the  fate  of  a  new 
queen  introduced  into  a  colony  not  ready  to  receive 
her.  In  this  case  the  note  is  one  of  righteous  anger 
at  the  indignity  to  her  royal  person.  She  makes 
this  piping  with  some  vocal  instrument,  not  well 
understood.  Her  wings  vibrate  tremulously  while 
she  is  piping,  but  she  can  pipe  quite  as  vociferously 
after  her  wings  have  been  entirely  cut  off. 

After  she  has  made  good  her  title  to  empire,  the 
queen  thinks  about  marriage;  some  warm  day  she 
will  run  out  of  the  hive  to  see  how  the  world  looks, 
and  especially  to  determine  beyond  doubt  upon  just 
what  point  of  the  universe  her  own  hive  is  situated. 
The  first  flight  of  the  queen  bee  is  very  pretty  to  see. 
She  makes  many  graceful  circles  about,  and  plays  in 
the  sunshine  as  if  she  were  thoroughly  enjoying 
herself.  When  she  finally  leaves  the  hive  to  find  a 
prince,  she  makes  several  little  detours,  always 
coming  back  so  that  she  can  commit  to  memory, 
beyond  peradventure,  the  home  place,  and  then  off 
she  goes  in  the  sunshine  to  find  her  lover.  Unfor- 
tunately she  is  not  discriminating  in  the  matter  of 


THE  IiNHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE    33 

love,  and  any  sort  of  a  prince,  however  lowly,  is 
acceptable.  Thus  does  many  a  fine,  highly  bred 
queen  return  to  her  hive,  to  bestow  upon  her  progeny 
the  undesirable  traits  of  some  low-bred  drone.  This 
is  one  reason  why  it  is  so  difficult  to  keep  an  apiary 
of  pure  blood;  and  these  mesalliances  of  queens  are 
a  source  of  much  tribulation  to  the  bee-keeper. 
She  returns  from  her  wedding  journey  with  a  part  of 
the  reproductive  organs  of  her  mate  in  her  possession, 
often  still  visible,  but  soon  after  withdrawn  into  her 
body.  With  the  sperm  cells  now  under  her  control, 
she  will  fertilise  the  eggs  of  perhaps  a  million  workers, 
more  or  less,  which  she  may  mother  during  her  life 
of  three  or  four  years. 

Biologists  have  of  late  achieved  the  miraculous 
in  being  able  to  stimulate  the  unfertilised  eggs  of  sea- 
urchins  and  starfish,  so  that  they  w^ill  develop.  The 
queen  bee  is  able  to  do  this  with  her  own  eggs. 
^Vhen  the  time  comes  for  drones  to  be  developed, 
she  lays  unfertilised  eggs,  which,  unfailingly,  produce 
the  drones.  If  our  poor  human  queens  possessed 
this  power  of  producing  male  heirs  at  will,  much 
trouble  would  have  been  saved  to  many  of  them  and, 
to  some  of  them,  their  heads.  However,  the  perfect 
socialists  do  most  things  better  than  we. 

As  soon  as  the  queen  returns  from  her  honeymoon, 
which  is  usually  taken  from  eight  to  ten  days  from 
the  time  she  issues,  she  acts  decidedly  like  a  business 
person.  She  runs  about  on  the  comb,  pokes  her  head 
into  a  cell  to  see  if  it  is  all  ready,  and  then,  turning 
about,  thrusts  her  abdomen  in  and  neatly  glues  an 


34  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

egg  fast  to  the  bottom.  When  the  honey  season  is 
at  its  height,  she  works  with  great  rapidity;  some- 
times she  lays  at  the  rate  of  six  eggs  per  minute,  often 
laying  three  thousand  or  twice  her  own  weight  of 
eggs  per  day.  She  is  a  wise  queen,  however,  and 
has  in  mind  the  dangers  of  overpopulation.  "WTien 
there  is  much  honey  brought  in,  and  the  swarming 
season  is  at  hand,  she  enlarges  her  empire  rapidly; 
but  when  there  is  little  honey,  she  keeps  the  amount 
of  brood  down  to  what  can  be  cared  for.  ^Miether 
this  question  of  limiting  the  population  is  decided 
by  the  queen,  or  whether  she  simply  acts  in  response 
to  the  food  given  her  by  the  workers,  is  a  question 
not  yet  settled.  However  this  may  be,  it  is  certain 
that  INIalthusian  doctrines  are  rigorously  and  suc- 
cessfully practised  by  the  perfect  socialists  of  the 
hive. 

Sometimes  when  the  honey  flow  is  very  great  an 
intoxication  of  work  seems  to  possess  the  colony. 
The  bees,  coming  in  from  the  field,  will  drop  the 
honey  anywhere,  and  the  queen,  agitated  by  the 
general  spirit  of  the  hive,  will  drop  her  eggs  every- 
where; and  the  poor,  overworked,  bee  housekeepers 
have  to  pick  up  the  honey  and  store  it  in  the  cells, 
and  pick  up  the  eggs  and  glue  them  fast  to  the  cell- 
bottoms. 

THE  DRONE      (Plates  V,  VI,  VII) 

Of  all  the  denizens  of  the  hive  the  lot  of  the  drones 
is  the  least  enviable-  .  That  one  may  surely  fulfil  the 
destiny  as  king  father,  many  are  born,  only  to  be 


THE   INHABITANTS  OF  THE   HIVE    35 

slain  when  the  honey  harvest  runs  low,  and  mean- 
while they  are  denied  all  interests  in  the  business 
of  the  colony  except  that  of  pensioners  upon  its 
bounty.  And  he,  the  fortunate  one,  who  lives  his 
life  to  its  fullest  measure  and  becomes  queen  consort 
must  in  the  end  lose  his  life  for  love  and  die,  heart- 
lessly abandoned  by  her  whom  he  sought  and  won. 

In  appearance  the  drone  differs  much  from  the 
queen  and  the  worker;  he  is  broad,  and  the  rear  end 
of  his  body  is  so  blunt  that  it  looks  almost  as  if  it  had 
been  cut  off  with  shears.  He  is  made  for  a  life  of 
idleness;  his  hind  legs  bear  no  pollen  baskets,  so  he 
could  not  fetch  and  carry  if  he  would;  his  tongue 
is  so  short  that  he  must  needs  eat  from  honey  stored 
in  a  cell  or  be  fed  by  his  sisters,  since  he  could  not 
possibly  extract  nectar  from  a  deep  flower;  nor  is 
there  any  occasion  that  he  should  hang  suspended 
weary  hours  for  the  secretion  of  wax,  since  he  has 
no  wax  glands.  His  special  accomplishment  is  his 
buzz,  which  is  of  extraordinary  calibre  and  sonor- 
ousness. So  fierce  and  loud  is  this,  the  song  he  sings 
when  on  the  wing,  that  the  novice  feels  inclined  to 
retreat  before  him.  But  this  music  is  undoubtedly 
meant  to  attract  a  queen  to  his  vicinity,  and  is  by  no 
means  a  sound  of  menace;  he  is  a  burly,  good- 
natured  fellow,  who  is  obliged  to  express  himself 
in  this  rather  coarse  song.  The  term  "good 
natured"  is  applied  to  him,  not  because  we  are 
certain  that  his  temper  is  sweet,  but  because  he  has 
no  means  of  expressing  ill  temper  should  he  experi- 
ence it,  since  niggard  nature  has  given  him  no  sting. 


36  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

He  is  always  a  clumsy  chap,  as  awkward  as  his 
queen  is  graceful;  but  he  can  scramble  out  of  the 
way  with  astonishing  celerity  when  a  murderously 
inclined  sister  attacks  him.  The  time  when  he  shows 
his  princely  qualities  is  when  he  is  flying,  for  his 
wings  are  large  and  strong  and  carry  him  easily 
several  miles  if  he  needs  to  travel  so  far  to  win  his 
lady.  In  his  physical  makeup  he  is  a  fine  example 
of  a  purely  feminine  product;  for  the  drone  is  a  very 
perfect  creature,  even  if  he  is  reared  from  an  unim- 
pregnated  egg.  His  magnificent  compound  eyes 
almost  completely  encircle  his  head,  nearly  meeting 
at  the  top,  and  thus  crowding  his  simple  eyes  down 
into  his  ''forehead."  And  such  eyes  as  these  mean 
something  surely,  for  they  are  developed  that  he 
may  be  better  able  to  see  his  heart's  desire  from  afar. 
He  also  has  marvellous  antennae,  the  nine  distal 
joints  of  which  are  completely  pitted  with  smelling 
organs.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  his  queen  has  a 
fragrance  all  her  owti,  sweeter  to  him  than  the  attar 
of  roses,  and  thus  he  is  equipped,  as  Cheshire  has 
proven,  wath  thirty-seven  thousand  eight  hundred 
nostrils,  in  order  to  detect  the  perfume  of  her  royal 
person  at  a  distance.     (Plate  VH,  G.) 

The  life-history  of  the  drone  after  he  hatches  from 
his  unfertilised  egg  is  much  like  that  of  other  bees, 
except  that  for  him  is  provided  a  cell  larger  than  that 
of  the  worker;  he  hatches  from  the  egg  about  three 
days  after  it  is  laid,  and  during  the  week  following  he 
is  carefully  attended  by  the  nurses  w^ho  feed  him  on 
the  rich  chyle  food  at  first;  after  four  days  they  give 


THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE    37 

him  some  undigested  pollen,  a  food  not  granted  to 
the  larvae  of  the  workers.  At  the  end  of  a  week  his 
cell  is  sealed  over  with  a  cap  that  looks  more  like  the 
crown  of  a  derby  hat  than  a  cap,  so  spherical  is  it. 
Cheshire  has  shown  that  this  cap  is  an  especially 
fine  example  of  engineering,  being  girdered  by  six 
struts  of  wax,  the  apex  of  the  dome  being  not  a  sky- 
light exactly,  but  rather  a  ventilator  for  the  admission 
of  air.     (Plate  VIII.) 

It  has  been  a  question  of  much  dispute  whether  the 
workers  inspire  the  queen  to  drone-raising  through 
building  drone  comb,  or  whether  she  takes  the 
initiative  in  the  matter.  Certain  it  is  the  bees  seem 
to  love  to  build  drone  comb,  perhaps  because  it  is 
more  easily  constructed  and  requires  less  wax.  It 
is  also  a  fact  that  the  queen  prefers  the  worker  cells, 
and  in  the  spring  or  fall  when  there  is  little  honey 
coming  in,  the  queen  will  voluntarily  pass  drone 
comb,  leaving  it  empty,  and  lay  eggs  in  the  worker 
cells,  so  she  evidently  knows  her  own  mind.  Some- 
times when  reduced  to  dire  extremity  the  queen  will 
lay  worker  eggs  in  the  drone  cells,  but  she  does  not 
do  this  unless  the  openings  of  the  cells  have  been 
previously  constricted  by  the  bees.  Sometimes  also 
when  the  conditions  are  abnormal  the  queen  will  lay 
drone  eggs  in  the  worker  cells  and  from  these  will 
be  developed  runty  drones,  which  seem  of  little 
account.  However,  such  conditions  as  these  are 
very  unusual.  , 

When  the  drone  is  twenty-four  days  from  the  egg 
he  cuts  a  circular  lid  out  of  the  cap  of  his  cell,  and 


38  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

crawls  out  into  a  hazardous  world.  After  a  fortnight 
or  so  of  moving  about  the  combs  and  eating  his  fill 
he  goes  out  of  the  hive  and  tries  his  wings.  This 
he  does  on  some  pleasant  day,  about  noon  or  a  little 
after.  As  soon  as  he  is  sure  of  himself,  he  makes 
his  flight  longer,  and  the  length  of  his  journeys  may 
only  be  guessed  at.  When  he  meets  the  queen  they 
unite  at  once  in  the  air,  and  after  this  they  fall  to  the 
ground  and  she  frees  herself  by  tearing  off  and  hold- 
ing within  herself  the  generative  appendages  of  her 
dying  consort. 

In  every  hive  are  developed  thousands  of  these 
princes  royal,  who  are  maintained  at  the  expense  of 
the  colony  until  the  dawn  of  that  fatal  day  when  the 
honey  crop  runs  short;  and  then  an  unhappy  ex- 
perience lies  before  these  useless  brothers  of  the 
reigning  house.  Then  their  sisters  chase  them 
out  of  the  hive  apparently  attempting  to  sting 
them,  and,  changed  to  furies,  bite  off  their 
wings  and  harry  them  until  they  give  up,  great 
helpless  creatures  that  they  are,  and  fulfil  their 
final  destiny,  which  is  to  die  for  the  sake  of  the 
colony. 

Even  the  drone  eggs,  larvae,  and  pupae  are  not 
exempt  on  this  appointed  day  of  execution,  but  are 
ruthlessly  killed,  and  their  remains  thrust  forth 
from  the  hive.  If  conditions  should  change  and 
more  honey  be  made,  a  reprieve  to  the  unhappy 
drone  may  be  granted,  for  the  length  of  his  life  is 
measured  by  the  food  supply.  Any  time  during  the 
summer   when   the    bee-keeper   finds   the   workers 


THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE   39 

attacking  the  drones  he  may  be  very  sure  it  means 
that  the  honey  crop  is  exhausted. 

Our  pity  is  usually  much  more  excited  for  the 
fate  of  the  drone  than  for  that  of  the  busy  worker, 
which  dies  from  overwork  at  the  end  of  a  few  weeks ; 
and  this  is  undoubtedly  because  the  death  of  the 
worker  seems  voluntary,  while  the  drones  are  mani- 
festly murdered.  Once  we  witnessed  the  slaughter 
of  the  drones  in  an  observation  hive,  the  entrance  of 
which  was  too  contracted  to  allow  the  bodies  of  the 
drones  to  pass.  For  several  days  the  bloody-minded 
workers  spent  their  energies  in  tearing  their  wretched 
victims  limb  from  limb,  and  carrying  them  out  in 
sections.  Below  a  small  crevice  at  the  bottom  of  the 
hive  we  found  a  row  of  disjointed  legs,  wings  and 
antennae  from  the  mutilated  drones,  while  the  heads 
and  broken  bodies  were  thrown  out  of  the  front  of 
the  hive. 

THE   WORKERS.      (Plate  V,  VI.  VII.) 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  the  socialistic  bee- 
community  the  work  is  carried  on  by  unsexed 
females.  It  evidently  has  not  been  a  part  of  the 
true  economy  of  the  perfect  socialism  to  unite  mother- 
hood and  business  life  in  one  individual;  therefore,  a 
division  of  labour  takes  place.  The  queen  mother 
is  developed  into  a  highly  efficient  egg-laying  ma- 
chine, while  all  her  worker  sisters  remain  undeveloped 
sexually,  and  thus  have  time  and  energy  to  devote 
themselves  to  bringing  up  the  young,  keeping  the 
house,  getting  the  food,  and  administering  the  affairs 


40  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

of  the  body  politic.  Little  wonder  is  it  that  the  brain 
of  the  worker  bee  is  much  larger  than  that  of  the 
queen  or  drone,  for  she  needs  must  exercise  her 
mental  powers  far  more  than  either.  She  is  obliged 
also  to  pass  through  certain  industrial  stages  in  her 
development  as  a  worker  before  she  attains  the  full 
height  of  citizenship. 

The  life-history  of  a  worker  is  usually  as  follows: 
The  cell  in  which  she  is  developed  is  the  smallest  of 
the  comb,  such  as  is  ordinarily  used  for  storing 
honey.  She  is  not  merely  a  fatherless  creation,  like 
the  big  drone,  but  hatches  from  an  impregnated 
egg  during  the  fourth  day  after  it  is  laid  by  the  queen 
mother.  She  is  supplied  with  royal  jelly,  presum- 
ably the  same  as  that  which  nourishes  the  queen 
larva,  for  about  three  days;  afterward  she  is  fed 
honey  and  digested  pollen.  This  food  is  placed 
in  the  bottom  of  the  cell,  and  the  young  larva  floats 
in  it  and  absorbs  it  through  the  body  walls  as  well  as 
through  the  mouth,  which  a  little  later  she  opens  up 
pleadingly  that  it  may  be  filled  by  the  nurse  bees. 
She  grows  like  other  infantile  insects  by  shedding 
her  skeleton  skin  as  fast  as  she  outgrows  it;  she  does 
this  with  thoroughness,  for  she  sheds  the  lining  of 
the  mouth,  the  gullet,  the  larger  intestines  and  the 
tracheal  tubes  as  well  as  the  outside,  this  being  a 
very  thorough  change  of  clothes,  indeed;  she  does 
this  about  six  times.  Soon  after  she  hatches  she 
querls  up  in  the  cell,  floating  in  her  food,  and  at  the 
end  of  four  days'  feeding  she  is  a  very  fat,  contented 
youngster.     Six  days  from  the  hatching  the  nurse 


THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE    41 

bees  place  over  the  cell,  a  cap  which  is  made  of  wax 
and  pollen,  and  admits  the  air  freely.  Then  the 
young  bee  in  the  solitude  of  her  own  cell  eats  all  the 
food  that  has  been  provided,  spins  about  herself  a 
cocoon  of  finest  silk,  which  she  weaves  from  a  gland 
which  opens  in  her  lip;  this  is  a  very,  very  delicate 
cocoon,  which  remains  in  the  cell  as  a  lining,  but  so 
delicate  is  it  that  not  until  years  have  elapsed  do  the 
brood  cells  become  contracted  by  these  many  silk 
wrappings  of  bees  which  have  been  developed  in 
them.  When  the  worker  sheds  for  the  last  time  her 
skeleton,  she  sheds  the  lining  of  the » stomach  and 
alimentary  canal  and  all  its  contents,  and  changes 
to  a  pupa,  which  is  a  state  of  utter  quiescence  and 
during  which  wonderful  changes  take  place  in  her 
anatomy.  These  changes  which  occur  in  the  pupa 
are  almost  like  new  creation,  for  the  legs,  wings,  an- 
tennae, and  all  of  the  other  organs  of  the  adult  bee 
are  developed  from  what  was  within  the  body  of  the 
footless,  white  grub. 

Twenty-one  days  from  the  date  of  the  laying  of 
the  egg,  twelve  days  after  the  cell  is  capped,  the 
worker  bee  sheds  her  pupa  skin,  pushes  it  behind 
her  to  the  bottom  of  the  cell,  cuts  a  lid  in  the  cap  of 
her  cell  and  pushes  her  way  out,  very  likely  after 
some  friendly  nurse  has  given  her  a  little  food  to 
"stay  her  stomach."  As  she  crawls  out,  she  is  a 
silvery-gray  bee,  as  damp  as  if  she  had  been  out  in 
a  fog;  no  one  hastens  to  greet  her,  or  pays  her  the 
slightest  attention,  which  is  quite  different  from  the 
case  with  the  young  ant,  which  is  always  fussed  over 


42  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

and  patted  and  petted  by  the  nurses  for  some  time 
after  it  emerges  from  the  pupa  skin.  But  the 
worker  bee  has  to  pat  herself,  and  so  she  gives  her 
face  a  rubbing,  stretches  and  tries  to  straighten  out 
her  draggled  clothing,  and  walks  around  trying  to 
get  acquainted  as  best  she  can  with  her  sisters,  who 
are  too  intent  upon  work  to  notice  her.  The  first 
twenty-four  hours  of  her  life  as  a  bee  are  spent 
orienting  herself;  but  on  the  second  day  she  learns 
to  put  her  head  down  into  the  cells  of  unsealed 
honey  and  drink  her  fill.  This  is  not  a  selfish  and 
thoughtless  act,  for  almost  immediately  she  enters 
on  her  first  duty,  that  of  bee-nurse;  and  she  must  eat 
pollen  and  honey  and  digest  them  in  order  to  make 
chyle  for  the  bee  brood,  which  she  soon  learns  to 
care  for  most  solicitously.  It  may  be  her  lot  to 
supply  royal  jelly  to  a  queen  cell  and  thus  become 
a  lady-in-waiting.  In  any  event  she  very  soon  learns 
to  be  useful  in  many  ways;  she  helps  to  build  comb, 
and  works  very  hard  at  capping  the  cells  of  the  young 
bees  when  they  are  ready  to  pupate.  She  also  helps 
to  clean  house  if  necessary,  carefully  removing  all 
of  the  dirt  and  refuse  at  the  bottom  of  the  hive  and 
dumping  it  out  of  the  front  door.  During  the  extreme 
heat  of  the  summer  she  must  exert  herself  tremen- 
dously by  fanning  with  her  wings  so  that  a  draft  may 
be  set  up  in  the  hive  for  the  sake  of  the  bees  as  well 
as  to  ripen  the  honey  in  the  uncapped  cells.  During 
very  hot  weather,  when  the  bees  hang  out,  some  of 
these  young  workers  may  be  seen  fanning  "for  dear 
life"  on  the  outside  of  the  hive.    Having  more  zeal 


THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE    43 

than  wit,  they  dance  a  Httle  gUde  back  and  forth, 
and  fan  as  if  they  thought  they  were  really  accom- 
plishing something. 

The  young  worker  usually  takes  her  first  flight 
when  she  has  had  her  wings  for  about  a  week;  she 
runs  out  on  the  threshold  of  the  hive  on  some  pleasant 
afternoon,  and  may  be  easily  recognised,  as  she  is 
callowness  incarnate.  She  runs  around  a  little, 
giving  the  impression  of  holding  on  with  all  her  six 
feet  as  if  scared,  and  then  she  lifts  herself  gingerly 
to  see  whether  she  truly  can  use  her  wings;  then  she 
circles  around  in  great  joy  and  learns  to  know  well 
the  place  where  her  hive  stands.  About  a  week  later 
she  goes  out  into  the  wide  world  to  seek  her  fortune 
and  is  likely  to  come  back  with  a  little  load  of  pollen 
on  her  legs.  When  she  comes  back  thus  laden 
she  buzzes  around  before  alighting,  and  then  rushes 
into  the  hive  excited  and  delighted  with  her  achieve- 
ment, and  as  Mr.  Root  says  so  graphically,  **  tries  her 
best  to  show  off."  Soon  after,  she  becomes  a  staid 
worker  and  plays  her  part  in  the  economy  of  the  hive 
by  bringing  in  honey,  pollen,  and  propolis,  secreting 
wax  if  need  be,  ready  to  defend  her  colony  at  the  cost 
of  her  life,  and  so  courageous  that  she  as  readily 
attacks  a  man  as  a  mouse.  Later  it  may  fall  to  her 
lot  to  become  executioner  of  her  brother  drones,  or  to 
devote  herself  to  the  queen  and  help  lead  out  the 
swarm;  or,  by  some  mysterious  election  of  the  hive, 
she  may  be  sent  as  a  scout  to  find  a  proper  home 
for  her  queen  and  her  colony  after  they  have 
swarmed.     She  is  at  the  height  of  her  powers  and 


44  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

usefulness  when  about  a  month  old,  and  at  that  time 
she  will  do  any  of  the  duties  of  the  hive  which  she 
deems  necessary,  even  to  helping  the  young  bees  in 
the  housework.  She  still  has  all  her  fur  and  her 
wings  are  as  yet  whole;  but  if  there  is  much  to  do  she 
is  untiring  and  unremitting  in  her  labours  and,  with 
never  a  thought  of  self,  wears  herself  out.  Her  old 
age  is  evident  by  the  loss  of  the  fuzz,  which  was  the 
pride  of  her  youth,  and  the  segments  of  her  body 
become  bald  and  shiny.  Then  her  hard-worked 
wings  begin  to  fray  at  the  edges  until  there  comes  a 
day  when,  out  on  her  quest  for  food  for  the  colony, 
the  broken  wings  and  tired  muscles  refuse  to  sup- 
port her,  and  she  falls  into  the  grass  and  dies;  even 
then  her  last  thought  is  not  for  self,  but  for  the 
precious  load  which  she  struggles  to  carry  home. 
Better  thus  for  her  to  die  in  the  field  than  to  faint 
in  the  hive,  for  then  do  her  vigorous  sisters  seize 
her  and  thrust  her  forth,  and  she  falls  into  the  refuse 
heap  in  front  of  the  home,  which  she  has  so  eagerly 
wasted  her  life  to  sustain.  There  is  no  gratitude 
and  no  pensioning  in  the  bee-world;  death  and 
oblivion  are  meted  mercilessly  to  the  most  ardent 
workers  when  they  fail,  for  thus,  and  thus  only,  can 
the  colony  be  kept  strong.  The  individual  is  nothing 
in  the  perfect  socialism,  and  the  colony  is  everything; 
the  treatment  is  Spartan,  with  none  of  the  weakness 
which  makes  us  keep  alive  the  hopelessly  insane, 
the  idiotic,  and  the  criminal. 


THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE    45 


THE   LAYING   WORKER 

When  the  colony  is  queenless,  worker  bees  may 
develop  the  ability  to  lay  eggs.  As  they  have  never 
mated,  they  lay  unfertilised  eggs,  which  develop  into 
drones,  and  thus  stock  the  hive  with  these  royal 
cumberers  of  the  commune.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
the  difference  in  prejudices  that  obtain  in  the  hive 
and  in  human  society.  In  the  latter  we  regard  it 
as  scandalous  when  the  female,  avoiding  the  duties 
of  motherhood,  goes  abroad  gathering  honey  and 
pollen  at  her  own  sweet  will;  but  in  bee  society  it  is 
not  merely  a  scandal,  but  a  misfortune,  when  the 
worker  bee  has  ambitions  to  be  a  mother.  The  lay- 
ing worker  is  a  bee  gone  wrong  and  a  menace  to  the 
colony.  At  the  same  time  she  is  a  nuisance  to  the 
bee-keeper  and  great  may  be  his  tribulation  before 
he  is  rid  of  her.  As  might  be  expected,  she  does  not 
do  her  work  well;  she  usually  does  not  lay  her  eggs 
in  regular  order,  as  does  the  queen,  but  scatters 
them  here  and  there  and  everywhere,  and  is  quite 
likely  to  fasten  them  to  the  sides  of  the  cells,  instead 
of  to  the  bottom.  She  lays  her  eggs  sometimes 
several  together  in  worker  as  well  as  in  drone  cells. 

As  a  laying  worker  looks  like  any  other  worker, 
it  is  useless  to  try  to  find  her.  However,  her  presence 
may  be  detected  by  the  irregular  appearance  of  the 
brood,  and  especially  by  the  high  drone  caps  on  the 
worker  cells  and,  finally,  by  a  superabundance  of 
drones.  To  meet  this  diflSculty,  an  ounce  of  preven- 
tion is  worth  several  pounds  of  cure,  and  great  care 


46  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

should  be  taken  to  prevent  colonies  from  becoming 
queenless.  In  case,  through  carelessness,  a  colony 
is  thus  victimised  it  will  usually  refuse  to  accept  a 
queen,  though  sometimes  it  may  be  induced  to  accept 
a  capped  queen  cell.  If  this  is  not  successful,  the 
combs,  with  the  bees  adhering,  should  be  removed 
to  an  empty  hive  nearby,  placing  a  frame  of  brood 
containing  a  queen  cell,  if  possible,  and  a  frame  or 
two  of  foundation  in  the  old  hive.  The  workers, 
coming  back  from  the  field,  will  enter  their  hive  and 
the  moved  comb  will  soon  be  deserted  by  all  except 
the  laying  worker;  she,  with  her  characteristic 
fatuity,  will  remain  on  the  deserted  combs,  laying 
eggs  until  she  dies  of  exhaustion.  A  surer  remedy 
than  this,  but  a  more  troublesome  one,  is  to  unite 
this  colony  with  another,  or  to  scatter  the  combs 
from  the  victimised  hive,  bees  and  all,  among  other 
colonies  of  the  apiary;  meanwhile  giving  the  depleted 
hive  a  frame  or  two  of  good  brood,  with  a  queen  cell, 
if  possible,  so  that  the  bees  that  return  to  it  will 
find  normal  conditions.  What  happens  to  the  lay- 
ing worker  when  she  finds  herself  in  a  colony  with 
a  queen,  we  do  not  know.  Probably,  if  she  persists 
in  laying  eggs,  she  is  killed ;  possibly  she  forsakes  her 
evil  ways,  and  returns  to  the  straight  and  narrow 
path  of  respectable  citizenship. 

We  do  not  understand  why  laying  workers  are 
developed.  Some  have  claimed  that  too  much  royal 
jelly  was  given  them  when  larvae;  and  some,  that  after 
a  colony  is  queenless,  the  jelly  is  fed  to  workers  and 
thus  develops  them  so  they  are  able  to  lay  eggs. 


THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE   47 

They  appear  among  the  Cyprian  and  Syrian  bees 
more  frequently  than  among  the  ItaKans. 

RACES   OF   DOMESTIC   BEES 

Several  races  of  the  honey  bee  have  been  de- 
veloped in  different  countries.  Some  of  these  have 
been  imported  into  the  United  States,  and  many 
experiments  have  been  made  to  determine  their 
relative  values. 

There  were  no  native  honey  bees  in  North  America 
north  of  Mexico,  and  the  black  or  German  bees 
were  the  first  to  be  brought  to  this  country  by  the 
pioneers.  The  wild  bees  which  stock  the  woods  of 
our  country  to-day  are  chiefly  black  bees,  the  descend- 
ants of  swarms  which  have  escaped  from  apiaries. 
For  many  years  the  black  or  German  race  was  the 
only  kind  in  general  use  here.  Within  recent  years 
the  eastern  races  of  bees,  Cyprians,  Holy-Lands,  or 
Syrians,  and  also  the  Egyptians  and  Carniolans  and 
Italians  have  been  introduced.  Of  all  these,  only  the 
Italians  have  come  into  universal  favour. 

The  Italians  are  the  classic  bees  which  were  dis- 
cussed by  Aristotle,  and  sung  about  by  Virgil,  who 
describes  their  bodies  as  ''shining  like  drops  of 
sparkling  gold."  The  Italian  worker  has  five  yellow 
bands  that  mark  the  front  portions  of  the  five  seg- 
ments of  the  abdomen  which  lie  next  to  the  thorax; 
the  two  posterior  bands  are  made  by  yellow  hairs 
and  are  therefore  likely  to  disappear  as  the  bee  gets 
old  and  bald.  But  the  three  front  ones  are  made 
not  only  by  yellow  hairs,  but  also  by  the  yellowish 


48  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

transparency  of  the  front  part  of  each  of  the  three 
anterior  segments,  or  body-rings.  As  the  segments 
of  the  abdomen  telescope,  more  or  less,  these  three 
yellow  rings  may  not  always  be  visible.  Mr.  Root's 
test  is  to  feed  the  bee  with  honey  until  the  abdo- 
men is  distended  and  place  her  on  a  window  pane. 
If  three  distinct  translucent  bands  can  be  seen,  the 
insect  is  a  pure  Italian.  If  only  two  bands  are  evident, 
she  is  a  hybrid. 

In  comparison  with  the  Italians  the  black  bees  are 
inferior  in  many  particulars.  Their  only  superiority 
is  that  their  honey  in  the  comb  is  a  trifle  whiter,  and 
they  are  more  easily  shaken  from  the  frames  than  are 
the  Italians,  and  thus  are  sometimes  preferred  by  the 
man  who  works  for  extracted  honey.  Their  points 
of  inferiority  are  their  nervousness  and  irritability, 
their  tendency  to  rob,  their  inability  to  cope  with 
the  bee-moth,  and  the  difficulty  with  which  the 
queen  may  be  found. 

The  Italians  are  far  more  "civilised"  than  are 
the  black  bees,  and  seem  willing  to  credit  the  operator 
with  good  intentions;  they  can  defend  themselves 
better  from  pests,  their  queens  are  more  prolific  and, 
on  the  whole,  they  are  more  industrious  than  the 
blacks,  and  having  longer  tongues  than  the  blacks, 
they  can  get  nectar  from  a  wider  range  of  flowers. 

The  hybrids  are  the  result  of  crossing  the  Italians 
and  the  blacks.  They  are  likely  to  be  excellent 
honey-gatherers,  but  unfortunately  they  usually 
inherit  the  irritability  of  the  blacks,  which  they 
express  with  the  strength  and  energy  inherited  from 


THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  HIVE   49 

the  Italians.  Therefore,  they  are  not  looked  upon 
with  favour.  These  unwelcome  hybrids  are  likely 
to  appear  in  any  apiary,  for,  however  pure  the 
Italian  queen,  she  is  likely  to  mate  with  a  black 
drone  in  almost  any  locality. 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  INDUSTRIES  OF  THE   HIVE 

THE   SECRETION   OF   WAX 

Very  little  do  we  know  of  the  mysterious  process 
of  wax-making.  The  interior  of  the  bee  is  a  chemical 
laboratory  where  no  visitors  are  allowed ;  at  best  we 
have  been  obliged  to  stand  outside  and  guess  at  the 
formulas  used  within.  We  know  that  honey  enters 
largely  into  the  composition  of  wax,  and  that  the 
bees  when  secreting  wax  usually  have  pollen  in  their 
stomachs,  although  Huber  and  Cook  have  both 
demonstrated  that  bees  make  successful  comb  when 
deprived  of  pollen,  and  when  fed  on  sugar  syrup 
instead  of  honey.'  But  to  make  this  experiment  of 
much  value  the  bees  must  needs  have  been  deprived 
of  pollen  all  of  their  lives  instead  of  a  few  days.  It 
seems  to  be  generally  conceded  that  nitrogenous  food 
is  needed  for  the  best  product  of  wax-manufacture, 
though  nitrogen  does  not  enter  into  the  composition 
of  the  wax  itself. 

It  is  variously  estimated  that  it  requires  from  ten 
to  twenty  pounds  of  honey  to  produce  one  of  wax; 
so  it  is  apparent  to  even  the  novice  in  bee-keeping 
that  wax  is  a  very  expensive  product.     One  of  the 

50 


Photograph  by  Broivn  Brothers 
PLATE  VII r.     DRONE   CELLS    IN   A   COMB   OF   HONEY 
Honey  capped  over;  drone  cells  bulged  out;  upper  cells  partly  filled  with  honey  but 
not  capped  over. 


THE  INDUSTRIES  OF  THE  HIVE      51 

results  of  the  process  of  wax-making  is  the  ehmination 
of  oxygen  from  the  honey.  There  is  of  weight  eight 
times  as  much  oxygen  in  honey  as  of  hydrogen  and 
carbon  combined;  while  in  wax  there  is  at  least 
sixteen  times  as  much  carbon  and  hydrogen  as  of 
oxygen.  Though  wax  is  a  fatty  substance,  yet  it 
is  not  the  animal  fat  of  bees,  as  is  so  often  asserted; 
it  is  a  product  especially  developed  for  a  far  different 
purpose  than  is  the  fat  of  animals.  The  bees  are 
much  superior  to  us  in  this  respect,  since  they  manu- 
facture from  their  own  bodies  the  building  materials 
for  their  homes. 

The  special  apparatus  for  the  secretion  of  wax  is 
very  interesting  to  the  student  skilled  in  microscopic 
investigation.  The  outward  or  visible  portion  of 
this  apparatus  consists  of  four  pairs  of  little  mem- 
branous plates  on  the  under  side  of  the  abdomen; 
these  are  not  visible  unless  the  body  is  torn  apart  and 
dissected,  because  they  are  on  the  front  portions  of 
the  second,  third,  fourth  and  fifth  abdominal  seg- 
ments, and  each  is  covered  by  the  rear  portion  of  the 
segment  just  in  front  of  it.  Immediately  within 
each  of  these  wax  plates  is  a  gland  which  secretes 
the  wax  in  liquid  form,  and  it  passes  through  the 
membrane  by  a  kind  of  osmosis,  considerably  more 
mysterious  than  is  that  most  mysterious  process 
ordinarily.  As  the  wax  passes  through  the  mem- 
brane it  hardens  and  is  pushed  backward  behind  the 
segment  which  covers  it  and  protects  the  wax  plate, 
and  appears  as  a  pearly  scale  on  the  abdomen  of  the 
bee.     (Plate  VI.) 


52  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

The  wax  glands,  when  studied  by  the  histologists, 
are  found  to  consist  each  of  a  specialised  area  of  the 
layer  of  cells  that  form  the  active  living  part  of  the 
body-wall  of  the  insect.  When  active  these  cells  are 
much  thicker  than  the  corresponding  cells  in  other 
parts  of  the  body-wall;  but  if  examined  during  the 
winter,  they  do  not  differ  greatly  in  appearance 
from  other  cells  of  the  hypodermis.  (Plate  XXV, 
Fig.  5.) 

When  wax  is  needed,  a  certain  number  of  self- 
elected  citizens  gorge  with  honey  and  hang  up  in 
chains  or  curtains,  each  bee  clinging  by  her  front 
feet  to  the  hind  feet  of  the  one  above  her,  like  Japan- 
ese acrobats;  and  there  they  remain,  sometimes  for 
two  days,  until  the  wax  scales  appear  pushed  out 
from  every  pocket.  It  is  not  hard  to  understand 
that,  since  much  honey  is  needed  for  the  manufacture 
of  wax,  a  bee  after  filling  with  the  raw  material 
would  produce  much  more  wax  by  keeping  quiet 
than  by  using  any  of  the  gorged  honey  for  energy  in 
moving  about  and  working.  But  the  necessity  of 
*' holding  hands"  while  this  work  goes  on  must  ever 
remain  to  us  another  occult  evidence  of  the  close  rela- 
tions of  the  citizens  in  the  bee  commune.     (Plate  X.) 

While  most  of  the  wax  is  produced  from  these 
quiescent  suspended  individuals,  yet  any  bee-keeper 
who  is  observant  has  discovered  that  at  the  height 
of  the  honey  season  many  of  the  workers  coming  in 
laden  from  the  fields  will  have  wax  scales  protruding 
from  some  or  all  of  the  pockets.  We  once  captured 
one  of  our  bees,  working  on  a  white  clover  blossom, 


THE  INDUSTRIES  OF  THE  HIVE     53 

which  had  six  of  these  wax  scales  ornamenting  her 
abdomen,  and  which  proved  her  a  bee  of  resource, 
since  she  was  able  to  work  and  make  wax  at  the  same 
time.  However,  there  is  a  choice  about  the  wax- 
making.  It  is  no  willy-nilly  production  caused  by 
gorging  with  honey,  for  it  is  never  made  except  when 
the  colony  needs  more  comb. 

THE   COMB-MAKING      (Plate  IX.) 

It  is  often  stated  that  after  the  wax  is  secreted 
and  pushed  through  the  wax  pockets  the  scales  are 
removed  by  the  wax  shears  on  the  hind  legs  of  the 
producers,  and  are  passed  forward  to  the  front  claws, 
and  then  thrust  into  the  mouth;  here  the  wax  is 
warmed  and  perhaps  chewed  with  saliva  and  made 
malleable,  thus  somewhat  changing  the  chemical 
composition  and  fitting  it  to  be  moulded  into  comb. 
But  there  is  a  hiatus  in  our  knowledge  just  at  this 
point  as  to  whether  the  bees  which  secrete  the 
wax  take  it  off  and  make  comb,  or  whether  other 
workers  harvest  wax-scales  from  the  suspended 
individuals  and  mould  them  into  shape;  or  whether 
perhaps  the  scales  fall  from  the  suspended  "curtain" 
to  the  bottom  of  the  hive  and  there  are  gathered  by 
the  ever-busy  young  workers.  Professor  Kellogg, 
who  studied  bees  in  an  observation  hive,  is  inclined 
to  think  that  all  of  these  methods  are  used,  while 
Mr.  A.  I.  Root  describes  the  process  graphically  thus : 

If  a  bee  is  obliged  to  carry  one  of  these  wax  scales  but 
a  short  distance  she  takes  it  in  her  mandibles,  and  looks  as 
businessHke  with  it  thus  as  a  carpenter  with  a  board  on 


54  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

his  shoulder.  If  she  has  to  carry  it  from  the  bottom  of  the 
honey-box  she  takes  it  in  a  way  I  cannot  explain  better 
than  to  say  she  slips  it  under  her  chin;  when  thus  equipped 
you  would  never  know  she  was  encumbered  with  anything, 
unless  it  chanced  to  slip  out,  when  she  will  dexterously  tuck 
it  back  with  one  of  her  forefeet. 

Honey-comb  has  been  the  delight  of  mathema- 
ticians from  the  earliest  ages.  The  plan  on  which  it 
is  built,  if  perfectly  carried  out,  would  be  the  incar- 
nate perfection  of  strength  and  space  for  holding 
fluid  contents.  This  fact  so  delighted  the  earlier 
mathematicians  that  they  set  to  measuring  the 
angles  of  the  cells  and  their  pyramidal  bases,  with 
truly  wonderful  results.  But  with  the  later  methods 
of  exact  measurement  it  has  been  demonstrated 
that  the  cells  are  rarely  perfect  in  construction;  and 
that  the  angles,  as  well  as  the  faces  of  the  rhombs  on 
which  they  are  built,  vary.  Because  of  this  there 
have  been  developed  doubters  and  pessimists  who 
declare  that  honey-comb  is  the  result  of  chance; 
and  that  cells,  crowded  together,  must,  from  the 
nature  of  things,  become  six-sided;  and  that  bees 
are  not  mathematically  wise.  With  this  conclusion 
we  do  not  agree  in  the  least,  although  we  admit  that 
the  fortuitously  six-sided  cell  may  have  been  a  step 
in  the  education  of  the  bee-artisans.  But  we  would 
ask  the  pessimists  to  explain  why,  if  all  is  chance,  the 
bees  build  so  perfectly  the  central  part  of  the  comb 
which  forms  the  bases  of  the  cells.  This  central 
part  is  built  first  and  is  fashioned  of  rhombs,  which 
are  made  into  alternating  three-sided  pyramids. 
Who  dare  assert  that  reasonably  perfect,  alternating 


THE  INDUSTRIES  OF  THE  HIVE     55 

rhombic  pyramids  are  fortuitous!  The  fact  that  the 
combs  are  rarely  perfect  in  construction  proves 
naught  against  the  mathematical  prowess  of  the 
bees;  it  simply  proves  that  the  bees  are  a  practical 
race,  and  not  bigoted,  and  are  therefore  unwilling  to 
sacrifice  everything  for  the  sake  of  precision.  The 
construction  of  their  waxen  cells  is  for  economic 
purposes  rather  than  for  proving  mathematical 
formulae.  Honey-comb  shows  how  economy  of 
room,  building  materials  and  mathematical  theories 
may  coincide,  and  shows  also  that  the  bees  have 
taken  advantage  of  the  fact.  Some  of  the  savants 
have  asserted  that  the  rectangle  or  the  equilateral 
triangle  would  have  been  quite  as  efficient  as  working 
plans  for  constructing  cells  for  storing  honey.  But 
probably  the  bees,  originally,  made  their  cells  to 
fit  their  brood  and  would  not  thus  build  a  cell  which 
would  surround  a  larva  with  unfilled  corners.  The 
hexagonal  cell  was  better  fitted  for  their  needs,  so 
they  developed  it. 

After  a  piece  of  the  central  portion  of  comb  has 
been  constructed  the  bees  begin,  usually,  at  the 
centre  and  pull  out  the  sides  of  the  cells  from  the 
foundation.  Experiments  in  coloured  foundation 
shows  that  this  may,  if  thick,  be  pulled  almost  to  the 
margin  of  the  cell.  This  is  why  bees  so  readily 
utilise  machine-made  foundation;  they  pull  out  the 
edges  of  these  pressed  combs  and  thus  save  them- 
selves much  labour  in  wax-making.  The  worker- 
cells  are  a  little  more  than  one-fifth  of  an  inch  in  diam- 
eter, and  a  little  less  than  one-half  an  inch  deep;  the 


56  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

drone-cells  are  a  little  more  than  one-fourth  an  inch 
in  diameter  and  a  little  more  than  a  half-inch  in 
depth.  It  is  interesting  to  see  the  comb  which  has 
in  it  both  worker-  and  drone-cells,  and  note  how  the 
transition  is  made;  the  two  sizes  are  harmonised  by 
a  row  or  two  of  cells  that  are  irregular.  Honey  is 
stored  in  both  drone-  and  worker-cells,  usually  in 
the  latter;  although  our  bees  seem  to  have  a  fondness 
for  making  drone-cells  for  storage.  ^Nhen  the  bees 
begin  to  cap  a  cell,  they  commence  at  the  outside 
and  work  toward  the  centre.  There  is  not  a  prettier 
piece  of  engineering  anywhere  than  the  cap  of  a 
honey-cell,  with  six  little  girders  extending  from  the 
angles  of  the  cell  and  holding  the  flat  cap  at  the 
centre.  Honey  is  capped  with  wax,  but  brood  is 
capped  with  a  mixture  of  wax  and  pollen,  which 
admits  air.  Though  the  cell-walls  may  be  thinner 
than  .0018  of  an  inch,  comb  is  wonderfully  strong, 
and  may  w^eigh  one-twentieth  or  less  than  the  weight 
of  the  honey  stored  within  it. 

An  interesting  fact  about  the  manufacture  of  comb 
is  that  no  one  bee  constructs  a  cell  and  no  one  bosses 
the  job.  A  bee  will  come  along  with  a  little  wax 
and  put  it  in  place  at  the  side  of  a  cell,  and  then 
will  run  off  and  do  something  else;  another  bee 
passing  sees  this  bit  of  unfinished  work,  gives  it 
a  few  pinches  and  polishes  it  a  little,  and  then 
does  something  else.  Several  bees  may  thus  lend 
a  mandible  before  the  cell  is  perfected.  Any  bit 
of  comb-building  seems  to  be  the  result  of  a  con- 
sensus of  public  opinion  and  not  of  individual  skill 


THE  INDUSTRIES  OF  THE  HIVE     57 

and  enterprise.  There  is  a  oneness  in  bee  enterprises 
which  harmonises  capital  and  labour,  and  which 
precludes  strikes  and  lockouts. 

THE   PRODUCTION   OF  HONEY 

In  trying  to  fathom  the  mysteries  of  honey-produc- 
tion, scientists  have  dissected  the  bee  with  greatest 
care;  but  they  have  usually  been  obliged  to  guess  at 
the  uses  of  such  organs  as  they  could  not  understand 
by  analogy.  To-day,  after  all  the  excellent  work  of 
investigators,  the  process  and  formulae  of  honey- 
making  remain  unrevealed. 

The  nectar,  when  taken  from  the  flowers  by  the 
bees,  is  received  in  a  special  reservoir,  called  the 
honey-stomach.  It  is  supposed  that  the  secretion 
from  the  glands  in  the  head  and  thorax  is  added 
to  the  nectar  as  it  is  swallowed,  and  induces  the 
chemical  action  which,  in  the  honey-stomach,  changes 
the  cane-sugar  to  the  more  digestible  grape-sugar, 
and  brings  about  the  other  changes  that  finally  result 
in  the  production  of  honey.  The  chemical  composi- 
tion of  honey  varies,  perhaps  for  two  reasons:  It 
may  be  more  perfectly  digested  sometimes  than  at 
others;  and  the  nectar  of  different  flowers  may  vary 
chemically.  However,  all  honey  contains  water, 
glucose,  a  small  amount  each  of  albumenoids,  mineral 
matter,  essential  oils  and  formic  acid.  While  most 
of  the  chemical  changes  take  place  in  the  honey- 
stomach  of  the  bee,  yet  the  honey  is  made  perfect  by 
ripening  in  the  cells;  these  are  left  uncapped  for  a 
period  of  time  and  the  current  of  air,  always  in  action 


58  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

in  the  hive,  evaporates  the  water  and  thus  thickens 
the  honey. 

Ignorant  people  beheve  that  honey  is  regurgitated 
from  the  true  stomach  of  the  bee,  which  is  far  from 
true.  The  honey-stomach  is  simply  a  reservoir  in 
which  the  honey  is  made  and  then  stored  until  the 
bee  can  empty  it  into  a  cell.  Her  true  stomach  lies 
behind  the  honey-stomach  and  connects  with  it  by 
a  mouth  that  can  be  opened  or  closed  at  will ;  when 
she  wishes  to  eat  some  honey,  she  opens  the  stomach 
mouth  and  takes  in  what  she  needs.  The  chyle 
which  she  manufactures  in  her  true  stomach  to  feed 
the  young  bees,  when  regurgitated,  does  not  pass 
through  the  honey-stomach;  instead,  the  mouth  of 
the  real  stomach  is  pushed  up  through  the  centre  of 
the  honey-reservoir  until  it  connects  directly  with  the 
sesophagus.     (Plate  XXVI,  Fig.  7  p.) 

When  an  ancient  Roman  was  asked  on  his  hun- 
dredth birthday  how  he  had  preserved  his  vigour, 
physically  and  mentally,  he  answered  laconically, 
Inerius  melle,  exterius  olea — "Inside  with  honey,  out- 
side with  oil."  He  spoke  wisely,  for  honey  is  un- 
doubtedly the  most  healthful  of  sweets,  because  it  is 
so  largely  composed  of  the  predigested  grape-sugar. 

It  is  hard  for  us  to  realise  that,  until  comparatively 
recently,  honey  was  the  only  sweet  in  general  use. 
Cane-sugar  was  not  commonly  eaten  in  Europe 
until  the  seventeenth  century,  and  previous  to  that 
time  honey  held  sway  as  the  sweetening  medium  of 
all  foods.  The  amount  of  honey  produced  in  the 
United  States   now   is   estimated  to  be  more  than 


THE  INDUSTRIES  OF  THE  HIVE     59 

125,000,000  pounds  per  year,  which  shows  that  it  has 
retained  its  vahie  as  a  food,  though  it  must  compete 
with  cheaper  cane-  and  beet-sugars.  It  still  remains 
the  most  wholesome  and  digestible  of  all  the  forms 
of  sugar,  and  should  be  used  even  more  generally 
than  it  is  at  present. 

THE   MAKING   OF   BEE-BREAD 

Flower  wisdom  is  scarcely  appreciated  by  those 
who  deem  all  wisdom  the  product  of  consciousness; 
but  if  wisdom  may  be  attained  through  the  ex- 
periences of  living  and  overcoming  difficulties,  then 
there  must  be  such  a  thing  as  flower  wisdom.  Other- 
wise there  would  not  have  been  such  a  prodigal 
production  of  pollen  that  a  tithe  could  be  spared  for 
the  bees,  to  induce  them  to  become  common  carriers 
of  the  flower  world.  Many  blossoms  which  do  not 
secrete  nectar  pay  their  taxes  in  pollen,  the  bread- 
stuff of  the  bees,  while  others  pay  in  both  com- 
modities. 

A  bee  when  gathering  pollen  for  food  collects  it 
with  her  tongue  and  forelegs,  mixing  it,  perhaps, 
with  nectar  or  saliva  so  it  will  hold  together.  It  is 
cleaned  off  the  tongue  and  front  legs  by  the  middle 
and  hind  legs,  and  by  them  packed  in  the  pollen 
baskets  on  the  tarsi  of  the  hindlegs,  and  moulded 
there  into  great  golden  balls.  Little  wonder  that 
the  ancient  Greeks,  noticing  bees  thus  laden,  and 
consequently  flying  low,  declared  that  the  bees  of 
Hymettus  tied  pebbles  on  their  legs  to  weigh  them 
down.     (Plate  VII,  A,  B.) 


60  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

"\Mien  the  bee  arrives  at  the  hive  she  selects,  usu- 
ally, a  worker-cell  and,  backing  up  to  it,  thrusts  in 
her  legs  and  scrapes  off  the  pollen  by  a  dexterous 
movement  like  that  made  by  a  cook  scraping  dough 
off  her  hands.  The  bee  bringing  the  pollen  con- 
siders her  duty  done  in  furnishing  the  flour,  and 
leaves  the  bread-making  to  one  of  her  younger  sis- 
ters, who  is  devoting  the  day  to  domestic  duties. 
Needless  to  say,  bee-bread  is  unleavened ;  it  is  made 
by  the  very  simple  process  of  packing  the  pollen 
firmly  into  the  cell,  the  utensil  employed  being  the 
head  of  the  bread-maker,  which  she  uses  cheerfully 
as  a  mallet  for  this  purpose. 

Bee-bread  is  necessary  as  a  food  for  young  bees 
and  admirably  supplements  honey  in  its  composition, 
being  rich  in  albumenoids  and  nitrogen.  To  our 
taste  it  is  rather  bitter  and  disagreeable,  as  those  of 
us  can  attest  who  ate  comb-honey  from  the  hives  of 
old,  before  movable  frames  and  supers  were  generally 
used.  However,  under  the  new  regime,  it  is  rarely 
placed  in  the  sections  of  the  supers,  but  sensibly 
stored  in  the  brood-combs,  near  where  it  is  used, 
and  thus  seldom  appears  upon  the  table. 

THE  PROPOLIS,  OR  BEE-GLUE 

Though  bees  are  most  successful  manufacturing 
chemists,  yet  they  are  not  above  using  ready-made 
substances  if  they  find  such  to  their  liking.  Thus, 
propolis  is  not  produced  by  bees,  but  is  gathered  by 
them  from  various  sources,  and  is  used  as  a  cement 
and  a  varnish.     Certain  trees  and  smaller  plants 


THE  INDUSTRIES  OF  THE  HIVE     61 

protect  their  buds  in  winter  by  resinous  coats;  and 
it  was  quite  like  the  adaptable  bee  to  find  use  for  this 
resin  in  her  own  domicile. 

The  elder  Huber,  whose  observations  of  a  century 
ago  have  been  verified,  discovered  the  source  of 
propolis;  he  planted  poplars  in  pots  and  placed 
them  near  the  hives,  and  the  bees  were  seen  in  the 
act  of  collecting  the  resin  from  the  buds.  They 
have  been  observed  by  others,  working  on  the  buds 
of  the  horse-chestnut,  birch,  willow,  alder,  and  even 
the  balsam  fir.  However,  the  bees  have  no  preju- 
dices in  favour  of  any  kind  of  resin,  anything  will 
do  so  long  as  it  answers  the  purpose;  hence  they  visit 
shops  where  furniture  is  being  finished  and  appro- 
priate the  varnish  without  saying  "please."  And 
Darwin  mentions  the  fact  that  bees  collected  a  cement 
of  wax  and  turpentine,  used  to  cover  trees  from  which 
the  bark  has  been  removed.  If  any  old  hives  or 
fixtures  with  propolis  on  them  be  left  around  the 
apiary,  the  bees  make  all  haste  to  save  every  particle 
of  the  precious  stuff. 

One  of  the  oldest  superstitions  about  bees  is  that 
they  will  gather  on  the  coffin  of  their  dead  master; 
and  authenticated  instances  of  the  kind  are  on  record. 
But  this  beautiful  tradition  is  made  empty  of  senti- 
ment by  the  assertion  that  the  bees  assemble  there 
not  to  mourn  their  dead  master,  but  to  gather  the 
varnish  from  the  coffin.  Some  iconoclasts  ascribe 
to  this  the  origin  of  "telling  the  bees"  when  some 
member  of  the  family  dies;  but  we  believe  this 
beautiful  custom  originated  before  varnished  coffins 


62  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

were  in  use,  and  was  the  natural  outgrowth  of  the 
close  relations  of  bees  and  the  home  for  many  cen- 
turies. 

The  bee  collects  the  propolis  by  cutting  it  off  with 
her  mandibles  and  packing  it  in  her  pollen  baskets; 
and  when  she  arrives  at  the  hive,  she  never  attempts 
to  unload  it  herself,  evidently  deeming  it  safer  to  let 
the  sister,  whose  business  it  is  at  the  moment  to  stop 
cracks  and  crevices,  take  it  from  her  legs  and  apply 
it  at  once. 

There  are  various  uses  in  the  hive  for  the  bee-glue: 
It  is  used  as  a  filler  to  make  smooth  the  rough  places 
of  the  hive;  it  holds  the  combs  in  place;  it  calks 
every  crack;  it  may  serve  as  a  sarcophagus  for  any- 
intruder  too  large  to  be  pitched  out :  snails  and  slugs 
have  been  found  thus  encased;  it  is  applied  as  a 
varnish  to  the  cells  of  the  honey-comb  if  they  remain 
unused  for  a  time;  and  it  is  especially  useful  as  a 
window  shade.  A  nature-study  teacher  of  our 
acquaintance  established  an  observation  hive  in  her 
school-room,  which  had  an  uncovered  pane  of  glass 
set  in  one  side  so  that  the  pupils  might  observe  the 
interesting  life  of  the  hive.  To  her  dismay  the  bees 
straightway  hung  a  curtain  of  propolis  over  the  win- 
dow and  so  shut  out  intrusive  eyes. 

One  of  the  chief  uses  of  propolis  is  to  try  the  tem- 
per of  the  bee-keeper.  If  there  is  the  least  crack 
between  hive  and  super,  or  cover,  the  two  are  glued 
together  so  that  nothing  but  a  knife  and  much  muscu- 
lar force  can  loosen  them.  Cover  blankets  are  stuck 
fast;    the  frames  are  welded  to  their  places  by  it, 


otogriph  by  Verne  Morton 


PLATE  XI.     HIVING   BEES 
Cutting  down  the  swarm. 


THE  INDUSTRIES  OF  THE  HIVE     G3 

and  it  plasters  into  immobility  all  the  modern  appli- 
ances of  the  hive  which  man  invented  to  be  movable; 
and  section-boxes  are  so  stained  with  it  that  they 
have  to  be  scraped  before  being  sent  to  market. 
Above  all,  it  gets  on  the  hands  of  the  operator,  so 
that  the  digits  of  each  act  as  one,  or  not  at  all,  and 
everything  touched  sticks  to  them  as  if  they  were 
magnets;  it  also  daubs  the  clothing,  and  if  profane 
men  were  ever  bee-keepers,  it  would  incite  them 
to  wicked  remarks.  However,  alcohol,  applied  to 
hands  and  clothing,  solves  the  difficulty  by  dissolving 
the  propolis;  and  a  bottle  of  it  is  a  most  necessary 
adjunct  to  the  equipment  of  the  apiary.  Benzine, 
gasoline,  ether,  and  chloroform  are  as  efficacious 
as  alcohol,  but  not  so  pleasant  to  use.  Boiling  lye 
will  clean  clothes  and  apparatus  that  have  become 
clogged  with  bee-glue. 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE  SWARMING  OF  BEES 

WHY  BEES  SWARM 

In  case  of  most  of  the  higher  animals,  including 
man,  the  species  are  spread  over  the  face  of  the  earth 
through  the  simple  plan  of  "marrying  off"  the 
younger  individuals,  and  allowing  them  "to  set  up 
for  themselves."  As  there  is  no  individualism,  no 
indulging  in  love  or  hatred  for  each  other  among  the 
perfect  socialists,  this  plan  is  manifestly  not  at  all 
adapted  to  provide  for  the  increase  of  social  insects 
where  the  colony  acts  as  an  individual.  The  bee 
plan  is  as  follows :  When  a  colony  gets  large  enough 
and  strong  enough  it  divides  into  two.  As  the 
Amoeba,  the  simplest  of  animal  organisms,  divides 
the  individual  in  order  to  multiply  its  numbers,  so 
the  bee-colony  as  an  organism  divides  and  mul- 
tiplies. It  is  interesting  that  the  method  of  increase 
characteristic  of  the  lowest  order  of  animals  should 
repeat  itself  among  beings  so  highly  organised 
physically,  when  the  individuals  merge  into  a  social 
unit.  This  analogy  might  well  give  the  social 
philosophers  an  opportunity  for  some  real  thinking. 

Much  discussion  has  found  place  in  human  annals 
64 


THE  SWARMING  OF  BEES  65 

as  to  whether  the  queen  or  the  workers  take  the 
initiative  in  this  hegira  of  the  bees,  and  much  evidence 
is  advanced  on  both  sides  of  the  question.  But  it  is 
a  profitless  discussion  for  us  to  indulge  in;  the  more 
we  study  bees,  the  more  firmly  we  are  convinced  that 
we  know  little  of  the  forces  which  govern  the  bee 
body  politic.  We  only  know  that  at  certain  seasons 
of  the  year  when  the  successful  colony  has  plenty  of 
brood  and  honey,  the  old  queen  and  many  of  the  old 
and  experienced  citizens,  go  away  from  the  hive  and 
form  a  new  colony  elsewhere,  leaving  the  young 
queen  and  the  younger  bees  in  possession  of  the 
homestead,  thus  reversing  the  human  custom.  While 
in  the  air,  or  when  clustered,  the  swarm  looks 
sufficiently  large  to  be  composed  of  the  whole  colony, 
yet  the  swarms  are  smaller  than  they  look,  for  rarely 
more  than  20,000  bees  go  away  with  the  old  queen. 

WHEN   BEES   SWARM 

The  swarms  usually  come  off  in  June  in  a  climate 
like  that  of  New  York  State.  Some  strong  colonies 
may  swarm  in  May  if  the  season  is  early,  thus  making 
us  glad;  for  the  old  verse,  **A  swarm  of  bees  in  May 
is  worth  a  load  of  hay,"  is  based  upon  practical 
experience. 

The  when  and  the  immediate  why  of  the  swarming 
of  bees  are  closely  connected.  There  are  several 
conditions  which  conduce  to  swarming:  the  presence 
of  young  queens  ready  to  issue  from  the  cells;  the 
crowding  of  the  hive  with  brood,  bees,  and  honey; 
the  presence  of  too  many  drones;   the  extreme  heat 


66  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

of  an  overcrowded  hive  on  a  hot  day;  this  latter  is  a 
most  cogent  reason,  and  it  is  well  for  the  bee-keeper 
to  shade  his  hives  to  prevent  this.  The  swarms  are 
likely  to  issue  between  9  a.  m.  and  2  p.  m.,  although 
enough  swarms  come  off  at  unseemly  hours  to  make 
any  rule  valueless  except  as  a  prophecy.    (Plate  XL) 

HOW   TO   HIVE   A   SWARM 

"The  bees  are  swarming!"  These  are  magical 
words,  which  arouse  every  member  of  that  family 
whose  pride  is  a  few  hives  in  the  garden.  It  is  a 
cry  that  starts  the  sluggish  blood,  and  sends  a  quiver 
of  excitement  up  and  down  the  spinal  column  while 
one  rushes  to  the  scene  of  action.  How  gracefully 
that  moving  mass  of  black  particles  undulates  in  the 
air,  as  if  it  were  a  drifting  cloud  instead  of  a  self- 
willed,  one-minded  colony  of  socialists!  How  the 
heart  rises  and  sinks  inversely  to  this  rise  and  fall, 
and  how  hopeless  it  seems  when  the  swarm  lifts 
itself  superbly  over  all  surrounding  obstacles,  and 
disappears  above  the  tree  tops!  No  one  who  has 
had  this  experience  will  wonder  at  the  ancient  cus- 
tom which  obtains  even  now  in  the  country  districts 
on  such  occasions  of  beating  tin  pans,  ringing  bells, 
and  shouting  "whoa"  at  the  top  of  the  lungs.  All 
of  this  racket  had  its  inception  in  the  needs  of  the 
bee-keeper  to  adequately  express  his  feelings  at  this 
crisis.  If  the  bees  ever  stopped  and  settled  because 
of  this  din,  it  was  probably  from  sheer  amazement 
at  witnessing  such  folly  on  the  part  of  human  beings; 
this  explanation  would  hold,  perhaps,  if  bees  ever 


THE  SWARMING  OF  BEES  C7 

evinced  any  interest  in  human  beings,  except  when 
they  obstruct  the  bee-path.  However,  most  of  our 
ancient  customs  were  founded  in  utiKty,  and  it  is  not 
likely  that  this  traditional  pandemonium  would  have 
been  practised  for  centuries  without  some  reason. 
Mr.  Root,  who  thinks  before  he  speaks,  suggests  that 
the  swarm  follows  the  queen  and  the  scouts  through 
listening  to  their  song,  that  of  the  queen  being  easily 
distinguished  from  the  hum  of  the  workers  when  on 
the  wing;  and  that  it  is  quite  possible,  therefore, 
that  the  noise,  if  loud  enough  to  drown  the  voice  of 
the  queen,  would  cause  confusion  on  the  part  of  the 
flying  bees  and  a  consequent  settling.  But  from 
what  we  remember  of  our  own  early  experience,  we 
are  convinced  that  the  bees  were  less  confused  by 
the  noise  than  were  the  people  engaged  in  making  it. 

The  next  most  widely  practised  of  the  ancient 
methods  is  that  of  throwing  dirt  on  the  swarm  to 
stop  it;  this  certainly  is  eflScacious  if  there  happens 
to  be  enough  loose  earth  at  hand.  However,  throw- 
ing dirt  is  a  reactionary  performance  in  the  physical 
as  well  as  the  moral  sense;  and  usually  the  bee- 
keeper who  throws  dirt  at  a  soaring  swarm  must 
needs  stop  soon  to  get  the  motes  out  of  his  own  eyes 
before  he  is  able  to  see  where  the  swarm  has  alighted. 

In  these  enlightened  days  everyone  who  has  a 
cherry  tree  or  an  apple  tree,  a  currant  bush  or  a 
potato  patch,  is  sure  to  have  a  fountain  pump  of 
some  sort;  and  never  is  this  instrument  a  greater 
boon  than  when  it  throws  a  fine  spray  upon  an 
absconding  swarm  of  bees.     It  brings  them  to  a  stop 


68  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEEb^ 

very  soon;  it  may  injure  the  feelings  of  the  bees,  but 
it  certainly  does  not  injure  them  physically,  as  it 
simply  impairs  their  power  of  flight  by  wetting  the 
wings.  Even  after  a  swarm  has  settled,  a  little 
sprinkle  of  water  will  keep  it  clustered  safely  until 
the  hive  is  made  ready  to  receive  it. 

It  is  highly  desirable  that  the  swarm  should  clus- 
ter on  the  tip  of  a  branch  not  far  from  the  ground; 
for  then  the  process  of  hiving  is  comparatively  sim- 
ple. My  personal  plan  has  been  to  place  a  sheet, 
kept  for  the  purpose,  on  the  ground  near  the  cluster- 
ing swarm;  place  on  this  a  covered  hive  filled  with 
frames  containing  brood  foundations.  Lift  the 
front  edge  of  the  hive  about  an  inch  by  putting 
blocks  under  the  two  corners;  then  cut  the  branch 
above  the  cluster,  and  taking  it  in  hand  shake  the 
bees  off  in  front  of  the  hive  and  placidly  watch  them 
hive  themselves  with  true  bee  celerity.  This  use  of 
the  sheet  is  a  habit  formed  in  childhood,  and  I  persist 
in  it,  though  my  partner  derides  the  practice.  He 
shakes  the  bees  down  on  the  board  on  which  the  hive 
is  standing;  or  he  takes  the  top  off  the  hive,  and 
shakes  the  bees  down  among  the  frames  in  the  most 
summary  fashion.  But  I  think  the  sheet  makes  a 
softer  mattress  for  the  little  citizens  to  fall  upon,  and 
certainly  they  find  their  way  from  it  more  easily  into 
the  hive.  I  am  a  conservative  person,  and  like  to  do 
things  as  I  always  have  done  them  before — a  conser- 
vatism that  is  by  no  means  dangerous  in  our  apiary 
where  the  senior  partner  is  given  to  new  ways  and 
many  inventions. 


THE  SWARMING  OF  BEES  69 

If  the  bees  alight  high  in  a  tree,  then  our  methods 
have  been  to  get  at  them  by  climbing  the  tree,  or 
attaining  the  branch  by  the  use  of  a  ladder.  How- 
ever, I  doubt  if  there  was  ever  a  fruit  found  on  any 
tree  that  needs  quite  so  much  care  in  the  picking  as 
does  this;  and  it  is  decidedly  a  ticklish  performance 
to  clamber  down  a  tree  holding  gingerly  a  branch 
laden  with  a  swarm  of  bees  in  one  hand  and  clutch- 
ing at  supporting  branches  with  the  other.  Some- 
times the  bees  are  not  accommodating  enough  to 
alight  on  the  end  of  a  branch  that  may  be  cut  off. 
They  may  even  go  so  far  as  to  cluster  on  the  large 
branch  itself;  then  there  is  nothing  to  do  but  to 
brush  them  off  in  a  box  with  a  bee  brush,  a  per- 
formance which  they  object  to;  or  to  dip  them  off 
with  a  tin  dipper,  or  to  jar  them  into  a  basket,  and 
then  to  dump  them  out  in  front  of  the  hive.  The 
most  embarrassing  situation  of  all  is  when  the  swarm 
clusters  on  a  tree  trunk.  Squaring  the  circle  is  not 
a  much  more  difficult  feat  mathematically  than  to 
brush  all  the  bees  into  a  square  box  from  this  cylin- 
drical position.  It  is  usually  necessary  to  bring  the 
smoker  to  help  in  elucidating  this  problem;  for, 
paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  smoke  properly  applied 
clears  up  many  a  situation  in  the  bee  business. 

If  only  one  were  able  to  find  the  queen  in  the  clus- 
tering swarm  and  secure  her  by  placing  her  in  the 
hive,  the  work  would  be  easy,  for  the  other  bees 
would  soon  follow.  But  to  hunt  for  the  queen  in 
the  clustering  swarm  is,  for  most  of  us,  quite  like 
hunting  for  the  traditional  needle  in  the  haystack; 


70  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

and  while  we  are  hunting  we  are  wasting  precious 
time,  as  the  swarm  may  make  up  its  collective  mind 
to  remove  from  our  vicinity  its  component  atoms. 
In  shaking,  or  dipping,  or  brushing  the  bees  into  the 
hive,  we  should  remember  to  deal  with  them  as 
gently  as  the  situation  and  mental  perturbation  will 
permit. 

Sometimes  the  bees  seem  to  feel  defrauded  at  hav- 
ing a  house  chosen  for  them,  and  insist  upon  swarm- 
ing out  of  their  new  quarters  within  a  day  or  two 
after  they  are  placed  in  possession.  Thus  it  is  a 
wise  precaution  to  give  the  hives  of  the  newly 
swarmed  attention  for  two  or  three  days,  lest  they 
indulge  in  this  sort  of  perversity.  If  the  bees  seem 
unsettled  and  unhappy,  and  hang  around  home 
instead  of  going  into  the  fields  to  work,  it  is  advisable 
to  place  in  the  middle  of  the  hive  a  frame  of  unsealed 
brood  taken  from  some  other  colony.  A  bee's 
motherly  instinct  may  always  be  depended  upon, 
since  caring  for  the  young  is  a  shining  civic  virtue 
as  well  as  a  domestic  duty  among  the  bee  people. 
When  there  are  helpless  larvse  to  care  for,  the  bees 
willingly  forego  every  personal  inclination  to  pack 
up  and  move,  and  cheerfully  proceed  to  give  the 
youngsters  every  attention. 

DECOY  HIVES 

When  the  self-appointed  scouts  of  a  bee  colony 
start  out  house-hunting  for  the  swarm  which  is  about 
to  issue,  they  evidently  examine  the  premises  care- 
fully; if  they  find  a  house  for  rent  in  the  immediate 


THE  SWARMING  OF  BEES  71 

neighbourhood,  they  are  likely  to  go  no  farther  in 
their  quest.  Thus  it  is  the  practice  of  many  bee 
keepers  to  place  about  the  apiary  hives  empty,  except 
for  brood-frames  filled  with  foundation,  hoping 
thus  to  entice  the  swarms  to  take  possession,  and  save 
all  trouble.  Mr.  Root  goes  so  far  as  to  advise  that 
such  hives  be  fastened  in  the  lower  forks  of  trees  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  apiary,  and  thus  provide 
a  most  expedient  bee  tree.  A  decoy  hive  should  not 
contain  more  than  three  brood-frames,  as  other 
frames  may  be  added  when  the  bees  move  in.  The 
reason  for  this  is  that  the  sheets  of  wax  foundation, 
when  sufficiently  close  together  for  the  convenience 
of  the  bees,  prove  also  entirely  convenient  for  the 
occupancy  of  the  bee  moth;  and  one  ought  to  be 
particular  about  one's  tenants  when  renting  houses 
in  the  apiary. 

Mr.  West's  device  for  saving  swarms  is  the  most 
alluring  of  any  about  which  we  have  read.  Since 
the  clipped  queen  cannot  fly,  she  expresses  the  as- 
piration within  her  breast  by  climbing  anything  at 
hand,  like  a  blade  of  grass  or  a  shrub.  Mr.  West 
observing  this,  drives  a  bare,  forked  branch  into  the 
ground  a  few  inches  in  front  of  the  hive,  having 
cleaned  the  ground  between  it  and  the  hive  of  all 
obstacles.  This  branch  having  a  few  twigs  upon  it, 
is  leaned  away  from  the  hive  entrance.  The  queen 
promptly  climbs  this  tree,  like  Zaccheus,  and  the 
swarm  clusters  around  her  and  remains  there  con- 
veniently at  hand  for  hiving. 


72  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

MAXIMS   FOR  HIVING   BEES 

Clip  the  old  queen's  wings. 

Go  through  the  hives  every  ten  days  to  destroy 
queen  cells. 

As  the  swarming  season  approaches,  have  hives 
ready  with  foundation  in  brood-frames,  and  hive- 
stands  ready  to  receive  them. 

Keep  a  serene  spirit  while  hiving  bees. 

The  hive  in  which  the  colony  is  placed  should  be 
kept  cool  and  not  heated  from  standing  in  the  sun; 
it  should  be  shaded,  as  the  swarm  will  not  enter  a  hot 
hive. 

If  the  bees  refuse  to  accept  a  hive,  give  them  a 
frame  of  unsealed  brood  to  reconcile  them. 


CHAPTER  VII 

HOW  TO  KEEP    FROM    KEEPING   TOO  MANY 
BEES 

THE   PROBLEM 

"Aye,  there's  the  rub!"  For  the  beginner  who 
wishes  to  keep  a  few  bees,  this  is  the  most  difficult 
problem  to  solve  on  the  bee-keeper's  slate,  and  it 
must  finally  be  solved  by  each  according  to  his  own 
capacity  and  method. 

We  confess  frankly  that  we  were  once  driven  out 
of  the  bee  business  because  we  were  too  successful. 
Caring  for  fifteen  or  twenty  hives  was  a  delightful 
avocation.  We  kept  our  colonies  strong,  for  we 
wished  to  make  comb-honey ;  consequently,  splendid 
swarms  came  off,  and  we  had  the  fatal  gift  of  seeing 
them  when  they  came  and  of  hiving  them  successfully. 
Thus  our  avocation  began  to  intrench  upon  our 
vocation  in  a  most  alarming  manner.  While  we 
enjoyed  taking  care  of  our  bees,  we  were  nevertheless 
following  the  vocation  which  we  had  chosen,  and 
which  we  liked  best;  and  the  time  came  when  we 
were  obliged  to  decide  whether  we  would  leave  our 
regular  business  and  become  bee-keepers,  or  abjure 
bee-keeping  and  attend  to  our  regular  business. 

73 


74  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

We  gave  away  what  swarms  we  could  and  we  sold 
some;  but  selling  bees  is  a  business  quite  as  much  as 
caring  for  them,  so  that  was  not  practicable.  Philo- 
sophically, we  argued  that  since  we  had  enough  bees 
we  would  let  the  swarms  that  came  off  abscond  and 
bid  them  God-speed;  but  here  we  reckoned  without 
properly  considering  the  amount  of  human  nature 
which  had  fallen  to  our  share.  Although  we  knew 
that  every  swarm  in  our  apiary  above  twenty  would 
be  an  embarrassment  and  a  tribulation,  w^e  could 
never  rest  content  not  to  hive  a  swarm  when  it 
issued;  and  the  more  unattainable  the  place  where  it 
clustered  and  the  less  we  wanted  the  bees,  the  more 
determined  we  were  to  secure  that  special  swarm. 

Such  inconsistency  brought  its  own  punishment, 
and  our  only  resource  was  to  sell  out;  and  for  many 
years  the  spot  in  our  garden  which  our  apiary  once 
occupied  was  never  viewed  without  a  sense  of  loneli- 
ness and  longing  for  its  busy  little  tenants.  During 
these  years  we  thought  it  over  and  finally  came 
around  to  the  right  frame  of  mind,  and  firmly  con- 
cluded to  keep  bees  for  our  owm  honey  and  our  own 
happiness.  We  limited  our  ambitions  to  ten 
hives;  and  last  summer  when  our  best-tested  Italian 
queen  took  us  unawares  and  departed  with  a  large 
and  enthusiastic  following,  we  did  not  mourn ;  all  we 
did  was  to  venture  to  hope  that  the  young  queen  left 
in  the  hive  had  mated  with  one  of  our  own  handsome 
drones,  and  not  with  a  mad  black  prince  from  one 
of  Mr.  Coggshall's  take-care-of-itself  apiaries  in  our 
neighbourhood.     As  soon  as  our  new  brood  made  us 


KEEPING  TOO  MANY  BEES  75 

sure  that  our  queen  had  made  no  mesalliance  we 
were  entirely  content. 

Our  lack  of  success  in  preventing  swarming  when 
trying  to  produce  comb-honey  was  a  source  of  great 
chagrin  to  us  until  we  read  that  so  eminent  a  bee- 
keeper as  Mr.  Hutchinson  declared  that  *' there  is 
no  way  of  preventing  first  swarms  profitable  to  the 
comb-honey  producer,"  and  then  our  feelings  were 
salved.  The  following  are  in  brief  a  few  of  the 
more  successful  ways  practised  to  prevent  increase: 

By  clipping  the  queen's  wings. — Almost  all  bee- 
keepers practise  this  now,  whatever  their  method  of 
preventing  increase  or  securing  it.  A  queen  with 
clipped  wings  is  necessarily  a  "stay-at-home  body," 
and  the  swarm  will  not  leave  without  her.  However, 
when  depending  upon  this  method  it  is  very  important 
to  guard  against  the  hatching  of  new  queens,  and 
this  can  only  be  done  by  closely  scrutinising  the  brood- 
comb  to  discover  and  destroy  the  queen  cells.  The 
brood-frames  should  be  examined  in  each  hive  about 
once  a  week  during  the  months  of  June  and  July,  if 
this  method  is  to  succeed.  Many  a  time  have  we  sat 
smilingly  by  and  watched  a  swarm  come  out  of  the 
hive  with  great  pomp  and  circumstance,  only  to  sneak 
back  when  it  was  discovered  that  her  majesty  was 
unfit  for  travel. 

By  the  use  of  a  queen-trap. — This  is  a  device  used 
by  some  instead  of  clipping  the  wings  of  the  queen. 
It  is  a  box  of  perforated  zinc  placed  over  the  entrance 
of  the  hive,  the  slots  in  it  large  enough  to  allow  the 
workers  to  pass  in  and  out,  and  small  enough  to  hold 


76  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

back  the  queen  and  drones.  Although  this  method 
saves  time,  yet  comparatively  few  recommend  it. 
The  cost  of  the  trap  is  one  objection;  but  the  greater 
objection  seems  to  be  that  it  inconveniences  the 
workers  when  returning  from  the  fields;  and  is, 
therefore,  likely  to  affect  the  amount  of  honey  stored, 
since  much  time  is  lost  and  some  annoyance  occa- 
sioned to  the  bees  by  being  obliged  to  squeeze  through ; 
it  also  scrapes  the  pollen  off  their  legs.    (Plate  XVI.) 

By  giving-room. — Supposing  that  our  queen  is 
clipped  or  confined,  which  is  the  first  step,  the  next 
is  to  give  plenty  of  room  in  the  brood-chamber. 
Lack  of  room  for  brood  and  honey  is  one  of  the 
most  potent  reasons  for  inducing  swarming.  So 
the  first  thing  to  do  after  the  disappointed  swarm 
comes  back  to  the  hive  is  to  tier  up  the  supers.  It  is 
also  well  to  remove  from  the  hive  a  frame  or  two  of 
brood  which  may  be  put  in  the  hive  of  some  weaker 
colony;  in  place  of  the  removed  frame  is  substituted 
another  containing  a  starter  of  foundation;  and  the 
would-be  swarm,  finding  that  there  is  plenty  to  do,  is 
content  to  remain  at  home  for  a  time. 

By  extracting  honey. — ^It  will  often  pacify  a  colony 
to  take  the  frames  from  the  brood-chamber  and 
extract  the  honey  from  them.  This  may  be  done 
when  the  brood  is  present,  if  care  is  taken  not  to 
run  the  separator  so  rapidly  as  to  throw  out  the 
larvae,  a  performance  quite  as  distasteful  to  the  young 
bees  as  to  the  consumer.  However,  this  should  not 
be  practised  unless  much  honey  is  coming  in,  as 
otherwise  the  brood  may  be  starved. 


KEEPING  TOO  MANY  BEES  77 

By  using  large  hives. — ^Many  bee-keepers  of  high 
standing  have  practically  solved  the  swarming 
problem  by  using  large  hives.  The  Dadants, 
well  known  on  two  continents  as  successful  apiarists, 
use"  the  large  Quinby  hives  in  their  own  apiaries,  and 
have  introduced  them  into  France  and  Switzerland. 
The  Dadant-Quinby  hive  has  about  the  capacity 
of  a  twelve-frame  Langstroth.  The  frames  are  both 
deep  and  large,  measuring  18^  by  11 J  inches,  and  so 
give  the  queen  plenty  of  room.  The  Dadants  have 
no  trouble  with  swarming,  as  only  enough  swarms 
come  off  to  make  good  the  winter  losses  in  their 
apiaries. 

There  are  three  reasons  why  we  have  not  used 
these  large  hives:  first,  they  are  too  heavy  to  handle 
well,  being  altogether  too  productive  of  backaches. 
Second,  they  are  necessarily  much  more  expensive, 
as  wider  pieces  of  perfect  lumber  are  used  in  the 
making.  Third,  and  most  important  to  us  of  all,  we 
find  it  difiicult  to  produce  comb-honey  in  a  large 
hive ;  when  the  bees  have  so  much  room  in  the  brood- 
chamber,  they  discover  no  reason  for  carrying  honey 
up  into  the  supers.  If  we  made  extracted  honey,  as 
do  the  Dadants  and  the  European  apiarists,  we  would 
certainly  use  the  larger  hives,  simply  to  be  rid  of  this 
nuisance  of  constant  swarming.  The  colonies  grow 
to  be  so  much  stronger  in  the  larger  hives  that  they 
are  much  better  able  to  withstand  the  vicissitudes  of 
winter  than  are  smaller  colonies,  which  is  a  great 
advantage. 

By  the  brushing  or  shaking-out  method. — ^When  th? 


78  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

bees  at  the  beginning  of  the  honey-flow  seem  to  be 
getting  ready  to  swarm,  the  hive  is  moved  to  one 
side  of  the  stand  and  on  the  exact  site  is  placed 
another  just  Hke  it,  which  contains  frames  set  with 
foundation  starters.  As  gently  as  possible  the  bees 
are  shaken  or  brushed  from  the  frames  of  the  old 
hive  upon  the  threshold  of  the  new,  great  care  being 
taken  to  include  the  queen.  The  supers  from  the 
old  hive  are  then  placed  upon  the  new  hive  with  a 
queen-excluder  between.  The  old  hive  may  stand 
beside  the  new  one  until  the  brood  has  emerged, 
when  all  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  old  tenement  are 
shaken  in  front  of  the  new  habitation.  This  shaking 
of  a  colony  into  a  new  hive  so  surprises  and  confounds 
the  bees  that  they  get  the  impression  that  they  have 
already  swarmed,  and  go  to  work  with  all  diligence 
in  their  new  quarters.  The  partly  filled  supers 
from  the  old  hive  encourage  them  mightily  in  the 
ways  of  well-doing. 

By  dividing  swarms. — ^This  method  we  have 
practised  with  quite  satisfactory  results.  The 
troublous  question  is  just  when  to  divide.  If  we 
divide  too  soon  we  weaken  the  colonies,  and  decrease 
the  honey  harvest.  If  we  wait  until  too  late,  the  bees 
do  the  dividing  themselves.  The  process  is  as  fol- 
lows :  The  queen's  wings  are  clipped  before  the  new 
queen  is  to  emerge,  and  she  is  placed  in  a  new  hive 
furnished  with  brood-frames  containing  foundation- 
starters;  enough  of  the  bees  are  taken  to  the  hive 
with  her  to  start  a  good  colony,  and  the  deed  is  done. 
However,  the  fact  remains  that  in  this  way  the  number 


KEEPING  TOO  MANY  BEES  79 

of  colonies  is  increased  as  much  as  if  the  swarm  had 
come  off  naturally. 

By  removing  the  queen. — Some  apiarists  remove 
the  queen  during  the  honey-harvest  and  cut  out  all 
the  queen  cells.  They  give  the  queen  a  nucleus  if 
they  wish  more  brood;  meanwhile  the  colony  will 
not  swarm  without  her.  Whether  queenless  bees 
are  as  easy  in  their  minds  and,  therefore,  as  ready 
and  enthusiastic  in  the  task  of  gathering  honey,  is  a 
mooted  question.  Bees,  like  people,  work  to  the 
best  advantage  when  they  have  fewest  worries. 
One  difficulty  with  this  method  is  that  before  we  are 
aware  of  it  a  queen  may  be  reared  despite  our  careful 
and  onorous  labours  in  hunting  for  queen  cells. 
Another  difficulty  with  this  practice  is  the  encourage- 
ment of  the  egg-laying  workers,  which  is  a  most 
demoralising  influence  to  introduce  into  a  hive. 

AFTER-SWARMS 

An  after-swarm  is  one  that  is  led  by  a  virgin  queen 
and  may  come  off  within  sixteen  days  after  the  first 
natural  swarm  departs;  usually  it  occurs  within  a 
week.  Most  bee-keepers  consider  the  after-swarm 
as  a  manifestation  of  ''pure  cussedness"  on  the  part 
of  a  colony;  but  it  is  only  a  poorly  adjusted  method 
practised  by  the  bees  for  getting  rid  of  superffuous 
princesses.  After  the  old  queen  decamps  with  her 
followers,  there  are  usually  several  queens  ready 
to  emerge  from  their  cells;  the  ordinary  story,  as 
told  in  books,  is  that  the  first  queen  that  emerges 
hastens  to  slay  her  yet  helpless  sisters,  or  battles  with 


80  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

them  singly  until  but  one  queen  is  left  in  the  hive; 
and  this  actually  does  occur  often.  However,  there 
are  differences  between  bee-colonies,  as  there  are 
between  individual  people,  and  every  young  queen 
does  not  seem  blood-thirsty;  or  perhaps  in  some 
instances  the  citizens  restrain  her  from  carrying  out 
her  murderous  intent,  and  try  to  get  rid  of  her  by 
sending  her  forth  with  as  many  followers  as  can  well 
be  spared  from  the  parent  colony.  Other  queens 
may  issue,  and  if  this  charitable  instinct  still  persists, 
another  and  still  another  swarm  may  be  sent  out. 
This  misguided  kindness  to  young  queens  is  as 
demoralising  to  the  colony  as  unwise  giving  of  alms 
is  in  the  human  world,  and  finally  a  swarm  may  be 
sent  ofiF  so  small  that  a  teacup  would  hold  it.  Of 
course,  this  means  certain  death  to  all  of  its  members. 
Finally  the  limit  of  endurance  is  reached,  and  with 
the  last  possible  swarm  are  sent  out  all  the  young 
queens  left  in  the  hive  save  the  one  retained  as  queen 
mother.  Whether  the  workers  send  out  these  bur- 
densome members  of  royalty  as  a  measure  of  good 
riddance,  or  whether  in  their  excitement  they  fail 
to  guard  the  queen  cells  and  so  let  them  out  and 
they  voluntarily  join  the  procession,  is  not  as  yet 
surely  ascertained.  One  of  the  formalities  of  the 
after-swarm  is  that  before  it  occurs  the  queen  sounds 
her  pibroch,  a  tune  which  probably  excites  her 
listening  subjects  to  rash  departure.  The  bee- 
keeper gets  to  know  this  sound  very  well,  and  when 
he  hears  it,  he  knows  that  an  after-swarm  will  issue 
very  soon  unless  he  does  something  immediately  to 


KEEPING  TOO  MANY  BEES  81 

prevent  it.  One  thing  particularly  exasperating 
about  the  after-swarm  is  that  the  virgin  queen,  being 
lighter  bodied  and  lighter  minded  than  the  old 
queen,  may  take  the  occasion  of  swarming  to  get 
married,  and  go  on  her  wedding  journey;  and  thus 
is  likely  to  lead  her  followers  a  mad  chase  and  leave 
her  proprietor  so  far  in  the  rear  that  he  loses  the 
swarm  entirely. 

For  the  real  reason  of  after-swarming  we  must 
look  upon  the  colony  as  an  individual;  and  as  nature 
is  wasteful  in  the  production  of  individuals,  these 
weak  after-swarms  are  analogous  to  the  weaklings 
among  animals  or  plants,  which  must  be  sacrificed 
for  some  inscrutable  reason  on  the  altar  of  the 
preservation  of  the  species. 

PREVENTION  OF  AFTER-SWARMS 

Mr.  Hutchinson  practises  the  following  method: 
When  the  first  swarm  comes  off  he  places  it  in  a  new 
hive  like  the  old  one,  and  puts  the  new  hive  on  the 
exact  site  of  the  old  one,  while  the  latter  is  moved 
away  just  a  little  and  faces  in  a  different  direction 
than  before.  The  new  hive  has  four  or  five  frames 
with  foundation  starters,  and  on  it  is  placed  the  super 
with  partially  filled  sections  from  the  old  hive,  with 
a  queen-excluding  board  between  the  two;  thus  the 
new  swarm,  having  no  brood  ready,  will  store  in 
the  supers  until  the  brood-comb  is  built.  Most  of 
the  bees  from  the  old  hive,  returning  from  the  field, 
will  enter  the  new  hive  because  the  entrance  to  the 
old  hive  is  turned  away.    The  old  hive  is  then  turned 


82  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

a  little  each  clay,  until  its  entrance,  which  should  be 
contracted,  is  parallel  to  the  entrance  of  the  new- 
hive,  and  very  close  to  it.  If,  on  the  seventh  day 
after  the  first  swarm  issued,  the  old  hive  be  removed 
to  some  new  location,  its  numbers  will  have  been  so 
depleted  that  there  will  be  no  attempt  to  send  off 
after-swarms. 

HOW   TO   UNITE   COLONIES 

If  two  colonies  are  weak  late  in  the  season,  it  is 
often  best  to  unite  them.  This  may  be  done  by 
moving  the  hives  nearer  to  each  other,  a  little  each 
day,  until  they  are  side  by  side.  The  queen  of  one 
colony  is  killed,  the  best  frames  from  each  hive  are 
alternated  with  each  other  in  one  hive,  and  the 
bees  shaken  into  this;  the  other  hive  removed,  and 
the  one  remaining  placed  midway  between  where 
the  two  stood.  Sweetened  water  flavoured  with 
peppermint  may  be  sprayed  over  both  colonies  just 
before  uniting,  so  that  they  will  all  be  scented  alike. 
The  above  is  the  method  advised  by  Professor  Cook. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE   HIVE,  AND   HOW  TO   HANDLE  IT 

THE   BROOD-CHAMBER 

The  essential  parts  of  a  hive  are  the  following: 
A  bottom-board,  the  first  story,  or  brood-chamber, 
containing  frames  for  the  support  of  the  combs,  and 
a  cover.  When  extracted  honey  is  to  be  produced, 
a  second  story  like  the  first  may  be  placed  between  it 
and  the  cover;  when  it  is  desired  to  have  the  surplus 
honey  stored  in  section-boxes,  one  or  more  shallow 
stories  containing  the  section-boxes  are  placed  above 
the  brood-chamber;  these  shallow  stories  are  known 
as  the  supers. 

Formerly  the  brood-chamber  was  a  mere  cubiform 
box  with  two  horizontal  cross-pieces  passing  through 
the  centre  at  right  angles  to  each  other  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  combs.  Sometimes  the  bee-keeper 
furnished  the  bees  with  a  hive  made  from  a  section  of 
a  hollow  log,  with  a  board  nailed  over  one  end  for 
a  cover,  or  the  hollow  log  was  placed  in  a  horizontal 
position.  Such  a  hive  was  known  as  a  "bee-gum," 
probably  because  it  was  often  made  from  the  trunk 
of  a  gum  tree;  but  the  bee-gums  with  which  we  were 
familiar  in  our  childhood  were  made  from  hollow 
basswood  logs. 

83 


84  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

To-day  in  every  well-regulated  apiary  the  brood- 
chamber  is  furnished  with  the  movable  hanging 
frames  for  the  support  of  the  combs,  which  were 
invented  by  Langstroth  a  half-century  ago,  or  by 
some  modification  of  these  frames.  It  was  the 
invention  of  these  frames  that  made  the  science  of 
modern  bee-keeping  possible.  A  large  part  of  the 
manipulations  of  the  hive  is  dependent  upon  the 
ability  to  remove  the  combs  from  the  hive  sep- 
arately. Two  of  these  frames,  one  empty  and  one 
containing  a  sheet  of  foundation,  are  shown  in 
Plate  XII.  These  are  of  one  of  the  newer  styles, 
known  as  the  Hoffman  self-spacing  frames.  In  these 
frames  the  upper  part  of  the  end-bars  are  wide,  so 
that,  when  the  frames  are  in  contact,  there  is  room 
for  a  bee- way  between  the  combs;  the  lower  part  of 
the  end-bars  are  narrower,  so  that  the  bees  can  pass 
freely  around  the  ends  of  the  frames. 

In  the  old  days,  and  at  present  in  some  apiaries 
where  home-made  frames  are  used,  the  spacing 
between  the  frames  has  to  be  done  by  eye  or  rather  by 
finger;  the  thickness  of  the  tip  of  the  finger  between 
two  frames  being  necessary  to  afford  a  bee-way. 
But  with  the  new  frames  in  the  market  to-day  this  is 
done  away  with,  as  they  are  arranged  to  space  them- 
selves, thus  relieving  the  novice  of  much  anxiety  and 
some  embarrassment  in  deciding  whether  his  finger 
is  as  thick  as  that  of  the  average  apiarist.  Also 
in  these  newer  frames  a  little  staple  at  each  end  of  the 
top  sets  each  frame  exactly  right  in  relation  to  the 
ends  of  the  hive. 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    85 

Before  the  frame  is  placed  in  the  brood-chamber 
it  is  to  be  supplied  with  a  sheet  of  comb-foundation; 
this  insures  the  building  of  the  comb  in  the  desired 
position,  so  the  frames  can  be  removed  from  the  hive. 
Bees  do  not  naturally  make  their  combs  straight, 
but  curve  them  so  that  they  are  less  likely  to  be 
broken.  It  is  necessary,  therefore,  in  order  to 
get  straight  combs  to  confine  the  operations  of  the 
bees  within  set  bounds;  this  is  done  by  putting  a 
sheet  of  foundation  in  each  frame. 

One  of  the  attractions  of  bee-keeping  is  that  much 
of  the  material  we  work  with  is  pleasing,  and  some 
artistically  beautiful.  A  sheet  of  foundation-comb 
made  of  the  most  delicate  wax,  frescoed  on  either 
side  with  rhomb  insets  in  hexagonal  pattern,  is  a  joy 
to  the  artistic  eye.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that 
the  foundation  should  be  put  into  the  frame  in  such 
a  manner  that  it  will  not  sag  or  bulge  when  it  is  built 
out  into  the  comb  and  filled  with  the  heavy  honey  or 
brood.  To  keep  these  large  sheets  from  bulging  and 
breaking  they  are  held  in  place  by  fine  wire  which 
is  strung  back  and  forth  across  the  frame,  passing 
through  holes  made  with  a  small  awl  in  the  end-bars. 
These  holes  should  be  about  two  inches  apart,  the 
upper  one  one  inch  from  the  top  bar,  and  the  lower 
one  something  less  than  an  inch  from  the  bottom 
bar,  making  four  wires  in  the  I.angstroth  frame. 
After  these  holes  are  made,  put  a  small  tack  at  one 
end  near  the  lower  hole,  twist  the  wire  around  it,  then 
thread  the  wire  back  and  forth,  making  four  wires 
parallel  with  the  top  and  bottom  bars,  and  fasten 


86  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

the  wire  with  a  tack;  care  should  be  taken  not  to 
draw  the  wire  too  tightly;  simply  draw  up  the  slack. 

The  sheets  of  foundation  as  sold  by  the  dealers  are 
a  little  smaller  than  the  space  in  the  frame,  so  that 
when  they  are  fastened  to  the  top  bar  a  bee-space  is 
left  between  the  sheet  and  the  bottom  and  end  bars. 
See  Plate  XII. 

The  sheet  of  foundation  is  fastened  to  the  top  bar 
of  an  ordinary  frame  by  means  of  a  Van  Deusen 
wax-tube  fastener,  which  is  simply  a  hollow  tube  that 
may  be  dipped  in  and  filled  with  the  hot  wax  which 
issues  through  a  small  hole  at  the  sharp,  bent  end  of 
the  tube;  as  the  point  is  drawn  along  where  the 
foundation  and  frame  meet  it  leaves  a  stream  of  hot 
wax  that  seals  the  two  together.  However,  the  most 
satisfactory  way  is  to  get  brood-frames,  like  the 
Hoffman,  which  have  two  grooves  in  the  top  bar. 
Set  the  foundation  in  the  groove  at  the  centre,  and 
introduce  a  strip  of  wood  which  is  wedge-shaped  in 
cross-section,  thin  edge  first,  into  the  adjoining 
groove,  driving  it  or  pressing  it  in  hard  so  that  it 
pushes  the  thin  partition  over,  and  wedges  the 
foundation  firmly  in  place.  These  strips  for  wedging 
come  with  the  frames. 

After  the  foundation  is  fastened  to  the  top  bar  the 
frame  and  foundation  are  laid,  wire  side  up,  on  a 
board  just  the  size  of  the  piece  of  foundation  so  that 
it  will  slip  inside  the  frame.  This  board  is  kept  wet 
to  prevent  the  wax  from  sticking  to  it.  Then  we  use 
the  spur  wire-embedder,  which  is  like  the  tracing- 
wheel   used   by  dressmakers,  except  that  the  teeth 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    87 

are  spread  apart  alternately  so  that  they  pass  astride 
the  wire  and  press  it  down  into  the  foundation ;  to  do 
this  successfully,  the  foundation  should  be  warm; 
working  near  a  lamp  or  in  a  warm  room  will  suffice. 
Embedding  the  wires  by  heating  them  with  elec- 
tricity instead  of  using  the  spur-embedder  is  a  com- 
mon practice  in  large  apiaries  where  electricity  is 
available,  or  where  it  pays  to  buy  a  battery  with 
proper  attachments.  This  outfit  with  the  dry  cells 
costs  about  five  dollars,  and  is  a  paying  investment 
when  the  apiary  is  large.      (Plate  III.) 

THE   SUPER 

The  super  is  that  part  of  the  hive  that  is  placed 
above  the  brood-chamber  and  is  designed  to  receive 
the  surplus  honey,  either  comb  or  extracted. 

When  extracted  honey  is  produced  the  super  may 
resemble  the  brood-chamber  described  above,  or  it 
may  not  be  so  high,  fitted  to  receive  a  frame  little 
more  than  half  as  deep  as  the  standard  Langstroth 
frame  used  in  the  brood-chamber. 

When  comb-honey  is  produced,  the  super  is  only 
about  half  as  high  as  the  brood-chamber.  For  this 
reason  a  hive  consisting  of  a  brood-chamber  and  one 
super  for  comb-honey  is  termed  a  one-and-a-half- 
story  hive.      (Plate  XV.) 

A  complete  super  fitted  for  comb-honey  consists 
of  the  following  parts:  (1)  The  outer  wall,  which 
is  of  the  same  length  and  width  as  the  brood- 
chamber  and  of  the  right  height  to  hold  the  style  of 
section-boxes  used;  on  the  lower  side  of  each  end  a 


88  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

tin  strip  is  fastened  to  support  the  fixtures  that  it  is  to 
contain;  (2)  the  section-boxes;  these  are  the  wooden 
frames  containing  the  comb-honey  when  it  is  placed 
on  the  market;  each  holds  about  one  pound  of  honey; 
four  of  these  are  shown  in  the  Plate  XIV;  (3)  the 
section-holder;  this  is  a  rack  fitted  to  hold  and 
support  one  row  of  section-boxes,  as  shown  in 
Plate  XIV;  when  in  place  in  the  super,  it  rests  on  the 
strips  of  tin  mentioned  above;  (4)  the  fence;  this  is 
a  device  placed  between  the  rows  of  section-boxes 
to  keep  the  bees  from  building  the  comb  beyond  the 
edges  of  the  section-boxes;  the  style  used  with  the 
plain  or  no-beeway  section  is  shown  in  Plate  III; 
the  vertical  cleats  on  this  fence  provide  for  a  bee- 
space  between  it  and  the  section-boxes,  so  that  the 
bees  can  build  out  the  comb  even  with  the  edge 
of  the  section-box;  (5)  the  super  springs;  these  are 
three  flat  springs,  fastened  to  the  inner  face  of  one 
side-wall  in  such  a  way  that  they  press  the  fences  and 
the  section-boxes  closely  together.     (Plate  XII.) 

There  are  several  types  of  supers  in  use  that  differ, 
in  certain  details,  from  the  one  described  above. 
In  some,  the  rows  of  section-boxes  and  fences  are 
pressed  together  by  thumb-screws  which  pass 
through  one  side-wall  of  the  super.  Many  bee- 
keepers still  use  section-boxes  with  beeways,  that  is, 
boxes  having  the  top  and  bottom  narrower  than  the 
two  sides.  When  such  boxes  are  used,  the  fences 
lack  the  vertical  slats,  or  posts;  in  fact,  a  simple  strip 
of  tin  may  serve  as  a  fence. 

Most  of  the  section-boxes  in  use  now  are  made  of 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    89 

a  single  piece,  which  is  dovetailed  at  the  ends  and 
has  three  transverse  V-shaped  grooves  cut  in  one 
side  so  that  it  can  be  bent  into  shape,  as  shown  in 
Plate  II.  These  flat  bass  wood  sections  afford  very 
pretty  material  with  which  to  work.  The  novice, 
in  putting  them  together,  almost  always  bends  them 
with  grooves  outside  at  the  corners,  instead  of 
inside,  and  then  wonders  why  they  are  askew,  and 
break.  We  wet  the  sections  where  they  are  grooved 
before  we  begin  working  with  them.  This  may  be 
done  by  brushing  each  individual  flat  with  warm 
water,  which  is  a  very  tedious  process ;  but  it  is  better 
to  take  a  handful  of  them  as  they  lie,  the  grooves 
all  in  a  line,  set  them  on  edge  and  pour  a  little  water 
from  a  pitcher  on  the  grooves.  This  w^ets  many  at  a 
time  with  little  trouble.  To  set  up  a  section,  it 
should  be  taken  in  the  hands,  grooves  up,  bend  the 
ends  upward  evenly,  fastening  the  dovetailed  edges 
together  gently.  Haste  and  jerkiness  are  as  disas- 
trous in  handling  sections  as  in  handling  bees. 

The  foundation  for  the  comb-sections  is  much 
lighter  in  weight  than  that  intended  for  the  brood- 
frames.  Some  apiarists  fill  the  entire  section  with 
this  foundation,  except  for  the  bee-spaces  at  the  bot- 
tom and  at  the  sides.  But  we  never  do  this,  unless 
we  are  obliged  to  do  it  to  coax  the  bees  to  use  the 
supers ;  for  it  is  not  so  satisfactory  as  to  use  a  narrow 
strip  for  a  guide  at  the  top  of  the  section,  as  a  starter 
to  show  the  bees  where  to  build  the  comb.  We  cut 
these  strips  about  an  inch  deep  and  almost  as  wide 
as  the  section,  and,  with  the  Daisy  fastener,  fix  each 


90  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

strip  at  just  the  middle  line  of  the  upper  bar  of  the 
section.  The  objection  to  filling  a  section  with  a  com- 
plete sheet  is, first, the  expense  of  the  foundation;  and, 
secondly,  that  it  is  likely  to  give  a  tough  central  por- 
tion or  " fish-bone "  to  the  comb-honey.    (Plate  XIV.) 

HOW  TO    PREPARE   THE   SUPER 

If  they  are  not  ordered  set  up  ready  for  use,  the 
supers  come  in  flat  pieces  with  dovetailed  ends,  and 
putting  them  together  is  a  pleasing  occupation, 
after  one  has  learned  how.  The  best  way  to  learn 
how  is  to  carefully  observe  a  super  already  properly 
set  up;  for,  though  the  directions  for  putting  these 
together  are  as  plain  as  may  be,  yet  a  person  may  err 
therein  and  yet  not  be  a  fool.  Unless  one  has 
learned,  or  can  learn,  to  drive  a  nail,  one  had  best 
not  undertake  bee-keeping,  for  the  bee-keeper  must 
become  a  carpenter  to  be  successful;  it  adds  much 
to  the  interest  of  the  occupation  to  make  all  sorts  of 
things  for  one's  own  bees.  The  principle  on  which 
the  super  is  built  is  that  it  may  hold  the  sections 
tightly  in  place,  and  not  allow  them  to  drop  through. 
Therefore,  at  the  bottom  of  the  super,  along  each 
narrower  end,  is  a  tin  strip  to  support  the  ends  of  the 
section-holders;  to  keep  the  ends  of  the  section- 
holders  even  a  wedge-shaped  strip  of  wood  is  nailed 
across  the  end  of  the  super,  thick  edge  .down  and 
flush  with  the  bottom  edge,  resting  against  the  tin 
strips.  We  use  the  Hetherington  super-springs, 
one  at  each  end  and  one  at  the  middle  of  one  side 
of  the  super;  the  trick  of  putting  these  in  is  to  set 


(a)     Two  self-spacing  frames;  one  of  them  fitted  with  a  sheet  of  foundation. 


(/')     An  emp:y  super,  showing  the  springs  and  the  wedge-shaped 
piece  at  ihe  end. 


{c)     The  Doolittle  divifion-board  feeder 
PLATE  XII 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    91 

them  opposite  the  posts  of  the  fence,  one  at  either 
endpost,  and  one  at  the  middle  post,  else  the  spring 
will  be  of  no  use.  Driving  in  the  sharp  end  of  this 
spring  successfully  requires  a  little  practice.  The 
super  is  now  ready  to  be  filled.     (Plate  XII.) 

First  place  a  fence  in  the  super  on  the  side  opposite 
the  spring;  then  a  section-holder  filled  with  four 
starters,  always  remembering  that  these  foundations- 
starters  should  be  at  the  top  of  the  section.  Then 
place  another  fence  and  another  section-holder.  The 
eight-frame  super  will  hold  six  of  these  rows,  with 
fences  between  and  one  on  each  side.  Putting  in 
the  last  fence  is  the  final  test  of  whether  the  springs 
are  in  the  right  place,  for,  if  they  are  right  and  press 
against  the  posts  of  the  fence,  it  will  be  very  hard 
to  push  in  this  last  fence;  when  it  is  in,  the  sections 
are  all  held  snugly  in  place.     (Plates  III,  XV.) 

Where  the  super  is  placed  on  the  hive,  it  should 
closely  fit  the  top  of  the  brood-chamber,  with  no 
cracks  between.  If  the  hive  has  a  flat  cover,  which 
leaves  only  a  bee-space  above  the  sections,  the  cover 
may  be  placed  immediately  above  the  super,  with 
nothing  between.  With  covers  like  the  telescope 
cover,  a  super-cover  is  needed.  This  may  be  a 
quilt  or  a  piece  of  enamelled  cloth;  but  we  prefer  a 
super-cover  made  of  a  thin  board,  bound  on  the 
ends  to  prevent  warping,  which  is  now  on  the  market. 

HOW   TO   HANDLE   THE   BEES 

It  is  generally  believed,  and  for  good  reasons, 
apparently,  that  bees  like  some  people  and  despise 


92  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

others,  who  are  just  as  good,  so  far  as  we  can  detect. 
This  apparent  capriciousness  has  been  explained 
in  many  ways.  Some  hold  that  the  bees  have  a 
fine  sense  of  smell,  and  thus  distinguish  us  by  odours 
rather  than  by  sight;  and  in  this  case  their  ire  is 
aroused  because  they  do  not  like  the  perfume 
exhaled  by  the  obnoxious  person.  Others  claim 
that  it  depends  upon  the  movements;  if  one 
moves  nervously  and  quickly,  he  is  much  more 
subject  to  attacks.  It  is  certainly  true  that  if  a  bee, 
which  is  buzzing  threateningly,  is  struck  at,  she 
becomes  more  enraged  and  is  more  certain  to  sting, 
but  this  is  because  she  recognises  an  aggressive  foe 
because  of  the  act.  However,  the  senior  partner 
in  our  apiary  is  an  exceedingly  active  and  nervous 
man,  and  I  have  seen  him  move  with  all  haste  and 
energy  while  working  with  bees,  and  though  he 
seldom  uses  bee-veil  or  gloves,  he  is  rarely  stung. 
Our  bees  seem  to  be  acquainted  with  him,  and 
accept  his  rapid  movements  as  one  of  the  common- 
places of  bee  existence.  It  is  well  for  anyone  who 
wishes  to  work  with  bees  to  spend  some  time  in  the 
bee-yard  just  watching  the  little  citizens  coming  and 
going,  and  listening  to  the  peculiarly  soothing  hum 
which  always  fills  the  air  around  the  hives.  It  is 
sympathy  with  the  bees  more  than  actions  that 
finally  results  in  handling  them  without  harm. 

HOW   TO   OPEN   THE   HIVE 

First  of  all,  fire  up  the  smoker.     The  way  to  do 
this  properly  is  to  place  some  easily  ignited  material 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    93 

in  the  bottom  of  the  fire-chamber,  touch  a  match  to 
it,  and  crowd  in  above  it  material  which  will  make 
plenty  of  smoke,  and  will  not  burn  too  rapidly; 
give  a  puff  or  two  with  the  bellows  to  be  sure  that 
the  fire  is  started.  We  have  used  excelsior  in  our 
smoker  because  it  was  near  at  hand,  but  it  is  not  a 
perfect  or  lasting  fuel.  Fine  chips,  especially 
planer  shavings,  old  rags,  greasy  cotton  waste,  and 
even  pine  needles  are  used.  Anything  is  desirable 
that  will  make  a  smudge  and  will  not  burn  out  too 
quickly;  for  when  we  are  working  with  the  bees  we 
have  little  time  or  inclination  to  stop  and  "putter" 
with  the  smoker;  and  we  cannot  afford  to  have  the 
smoke  give  out  at  the  critical  moment  when  we  most 
need  its  protecting  incense.  A  minimum  amount 
of  fire  with  the  maximum  amount  of  smoke  is  the 
desirable  quality  in  the  smoker.  If  the  fire  gets  too 
hot  the  blasts  will  burn  the  bees,  which  is  an  outrage, 
and  which  is  never  permitted  by  a  civilised  individ- 
ual. The  Cornell  smoker  has  a  hook  attached  to 
the  bellows,  so  it  may  be  hung  on  the  edge  of  the 
open  hive  to  be  at  hand  in  time  of  need.  If  it  be- 
comes too  hot,  we  lay  it  flat  on  the  ground  so  as  to 
stop  the  draft.  Each  time  after  the  smoker  is  used 
it  should  be  emptied,  otherwise  it  is  likely  to  start 
a  conflagration.  We  have  an  ash  pail  near  the 
apiary  in  which  we  always  empty  the  smoker  on  our 
way  back  to  the  bee-room.  Mr.  Root  speaks  of 
never  using  the  smoker  until  it  is  needed;  when  his 
bees  trouble  him,  he  gently  pats  them  on  the  back 
with  a  little  grass  to  get  them  out  of  his  way  as  he 


94  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

lifts  up  the  frames.  And  we  never  can  admire  Mr. 
Root  enough  for  dealing  thus  gently  with  his  bee- 
people.  But  we  would  not  advise  the  novice  to 
try  this,  as  a  person  has  to  be  on  very  intimate  terms 
with  bees  to  be  able  to  pat  them  on  the  back  with 
grass  and  impunity.  However,  this  is  an  ideal  to 
work  toward.  The  nervous  beginner  almost  in- 
variably uses  too  much  smoke,  and  this  makes  his 
little  dependents  unhappy.  The  breathing  of 
smoke  is  hardly  a  pleasant  experience  for  us,  and  it 
seems  to  be  still  more  distressing  to  the  bees.  We 
remember  once  how,  in  the  enthusiasm  of  our  novi- 
tiate, we  inadvertantly  smoked  the  bee-man  in- 
stead of  the  bees  in  our  misguided  efforts  to  help, 
and  the  result  was  a  blueness  of  the  atmos- 
phere which  rendered  more  smoke  superfluous. 
Every  beginner  ought  to  get  at  least  one  head- 
ache from  the  fumes  of  the  smoker  to  teach  him 
charity  and  care. 

There  are  several  reasons  why  the  hive  must  be 
opened,  aside  from  the  fun  one  derives  from  the 
experience.  First,  the  brood  needs  to  be  examined 
occasionally  to  see  that  it  is  all  right,  and  in  the  fall 
the  brood-comb  must  be  examined  to  see  that  there 
is  enough  honey  stored  within  it  to  winter  the  bees. 
Second,  during  the  swarming  season  to  find  and 
remove  the  queen-cells.  Third,  to  hunt  for  the 
queen  to  be  sure  she  is  present  and  active,  or  per- 
.  chance  to  find  her  and  clip  her  wings.  Fourth,  to 
take  off  supers  filled  with  honey.  A  warm  day 
should  be  selected  for  opening  the  hive  for  whatever 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    95 

reason,  and  the  middle  of  the  day  is  the  best  time 
for  the  work. 

Send  two  or  three  puffs  of  smoke  in  at  the  entrance 
to  drive  back  the  frightened  sentinels  who  keep  care- 
ful watch  of  the  portals  of  the  hive.  Then  lift  one 
edge  of  the  cover  of  the  hive  a  little  and  send  two  or 
three  puffs  in  the  crack;  then  lift  off  the  cover  and 
set  it  down  beside  you;  then  lift  the  quilt  or  super- 
cover  at  one  edge,  and  give  two  or  three  puffs  of 
smoke  beneath  it  to  drive  the  bees  down  among  the 
frames,  always  remembering  that  under  ordinary 
circumstances  a  very  little  smoke  is  necessary  to 
frighten  and  subdue  the  bees.  In  fact  the  same 
rule  applies  to  smoking  bees  as  to  smoking  tobacco; 
if  one  is  moderate  in  its  use,  the  least  harm  will 
result. 

HOW  TO   EXAMINE  THE  BROOD-CHAMBER.     (Plate  VIII.) 

Stand  at  one  side  of  the  hive,  and  not  in  front  of  it. 
Hang  the  smoker  on  the  side  of  the  hive,  so  as  to 
have  it  within  reach.  Mr.  Root  advises  sitting  on 
the  cover  of  the  hive  set  on  edge  while  you  examine 
the  brood-frame.  This  will  do  for  a  well-poised 
person,  but  we  prefer  a  little  stool,  which  we  can 
carry  easily  from  hive  to  hive,  as  we  wish  something 
that  we  can  sit  on  calmly  as  the  situation  requires. 
Commence  at  one  side  and  loosen  the  outside  section 
with  a  knife,  or  what  is  better,  an  old  screw-driver. 
Take  the  frame  by  the  projecting  ends,  and  lift  it  up 
so  that  you  may  examine  it  on  one  side,  then  twirl  it 
half-way  over  to  examine  it  on  the  other.     It  requires 


96  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

some  experience  to  placidly  lift  out  a  frame,  covered 
with  what  at  first  sight  looks  like  a  dark,  boiling, 
viscous  fluid,  fit  only  for  a  witch's  cauldron,  but 
which  soon  to  the  startled  eye  resolves  itself  into  bee 
particles.  If  the  brood  must  be  examined  or  queen 
cells  found,  then  it  becomes  necessary  to  get  rid  of 
this  seething,  enveloping  bee-mass,  which  is  done  in 
a  manner  that  seems  like  nothing  less  than  tempting 
Providence.  The  brood-frame  is  seized  firmly  in 
the  operator's  hands,  and  held  about  waist  high  in 
front  of  the  hive,  then  let  to  drop,  hands  and  all, 
swiftly  to  within  about  six  inches  of  the  doorstep  of 
the  hive,  then  suddenly  jerked  back  again;  the  bees 
being  heavy  and  receiving  the  downward  impetus, 
keep  right  on  as  a  man  keeps  on  when  his  bicycle 
stops  suddenly  in  a  rut — ^with  this  difference  that  the 
bees  land  safely  at  the  entrance  of  the  hive,  into 
which  they  scamper  as  soon  as  their  dazed  wits  will 
allow.  One  would  naturally  think  that  the  bees 
would  attack  the  active  agent  of  this  indignity,  but 
while  bees  are  ever  ready  to  fight  recognised  enemies, 
they  have  evolved  no  plan  of  action  which  is  equal 
to  a  cataclysm,  except  to  get  under  cover  as  soon  as 
possible.  Thus  being  shaken  from  their  founda- 
tions is  to  them  what  an  earthquake  is  to  us,  and  the 
attitude  of  Riley's  boy  is  theirs. 

"Where's  a  boy  a-goin*  an'  what's  he  goin'  to  do, 
An'  how's  he  goin'  to  do  it,  when  the  wodd  bu'sts  through  ?" 

Thus  it  is  that  among  the  first  accomplishments 
of  the  apiarist  is  the  one  that  enables  him  skilfulljr 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    97 

and  with  dispatch,  and  without  harming  the  indi- 
viduals to  shake  the  surprised  Httle  mob  off  the  frame 
or  out  of  the  boxes,  to  a  place  where  its  members 
may  recover  shelter  and  equanimity  as  expe- 
ditiously as  possible. 

After  the  comb  is  freed  from  the  bees,  it  requires 
some  experience  with  honey-comb  topography  to 
see  at  a  glance  just  the  condition  of  the  brood. 
There  may  be  cells  that  look  empty  until  a  ray  of 
light  reveals  at  the  bottom  a  glistening  egg;  and 
there  may  be  cells  with  a  little  milky  substance  at  the 
bottom  in  which  the  young  larva  is  floating;  or  in 
some  cells  the  bee  grubs  may  be  distinctly  seen  if 
they  are  four  or  five  days  old.  If  the  cells  are 
capped,  it  may  puzzle  the  novice  to  know  what  lies 
behind  that  closed  waxen  door.  If  the  cells  con- 
tain honey,  the  substance  of  which  the  cap  is  made 
is  whiter  than  that  which  covers  the  brood.  In  case 
of  worker-brood  the  cap  is  depressed  slightly  below 
the  plane  of  the  comb,  which  is  not  the  case  if  the 
cells  contain  honey.  The  large  size  of  the  drone 
cells  distinguishes  them  readily  from  the  cells  of  the 
workers.  Often  honey  is  stored  in  drone  cells,  for 
the  bees  seem  to  like  to  make  these  larger  cells,  and 
for  good  reason,  since  they  give  greater  storage 
capacity  for  the  amount  of  w^ax  used.  However, 
the  drone  cells  which  contain  brood  are  covered 
with  dark,  dirty,  yellow  caps  which  are  quite  convex, 
looking  like  kopjes  on  the  comb  plain.  At  the 
height  of  the  honey  season  there  should  be  plenty 
of  brood,  and  later  the  cells  in  the  brood-frames 


98  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

should  be  filled  with  honey.  The  cells  containing 
bee-bread  are  not  capped,  as  this  staff  of  bee  life  is 
packed  so  hard  that  it  does  not  need  to  be  covered. 
All  honey  remains  uncapped  until  it  is  properly 
evaporated  and  ripened.     (Plate  VIII.) 

After  one  frame  has  been  thus  examined,  it  should 
be  leaned  up  against  the  side  of  the  hive  so  as  to  give 
space  to  lift  out  the  next  frame  without  crushing  the 
bees. 

HOW  TO    FIND   THE   QUEEN   CELL 

Fortunately  for  us,  this  is  quite  prominent,  being 
a  veritable  oriel  in  shape.  However,  there  may  be 
other  excrescences  of  the  comb  which  somewhat 
resemble  a  queen  cell ;  sometimes  the  queen  cell  may 
be  more  or  less  embedded  and  so  escape  observation. 
The  bee-keeper  who  is  cocksure  that  he  can  find  all 
the  queen  cells  in  his  hives  has  to  be  most  experienced, 
and  even  then  cocksureness  may  come  to  grief. 
But  this  unglazed  oriel  window  in  which  the  queen 
develops  is  usually  quite  noticeable,  and  is  ordi- 
narily decorated  with  a  small,  hexagonal  pattern 
in  relief.  We  have  often  wondered  if  this  was 
done  for  the  sake  of  decoration,  or  because  the 
bees  are  so  in  the  habit  of  fashioning  wax  into 
hexagonal  patterns  that  they  do  it  involuntarily. 
For  the  person  who  rashly  asserts  that  honey- 
comb is  the  result  of  fortuitous  force  and  pres- 
sure, this  queen  cell  with  its  hexagonal  frescoes 
is  a  poser.     (Plate  V.) 

To  cut  out  the  queen  cell  a  sharp,  pointed  knife 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    99 

is  necessary,  in  order  to  injure  the  comb  beneath  the 
cell  as  little  as  possible. 

HOW  TO   FIND   THE   QUEEN 

If  we  simply  need  assurance  that  the  queen  is 
present  and  active,  the  discovery  of  eggs  or  young 
larvae  in  the  cells  is  sufficient  evidence  of  her  presence, 
and  saves  the  tiresome  search  for  her  majesty.  But 
if  we  wish  to  find  her,  she  is  usually  present  on  the 
middle  frame  of  the  hive.  It  is  not  safe  to  pull  out 
this  middle  frame  from  the  narrow  place  which  it 
occupies  for  fear  of  hurting  the  queen  and  crushing 
the  other  bees ;  so  it  is  best  always  to  take  out  an  end 
frame,  first  looking  at  it  carefully  to  make  sure  she 
is  not  upon  it;  then  shake  off  the  bees  and  set  it 
beside  the  hive,  and  move  the  other  frames  along 
in  the  space  thus  made  until  we  are  able  to  remove 
the  middle  frame  with  ease.  It  requires  some  ex- 
perience to  ferret  out  the  queen  from  the  bee-mob 
which  seethes  over  the  comb.  The  burly,  big,  blunt- 
ended  drones  are  much  more  readily  detected. 
However,  after  a  little  training  in  the  devious  ways 
of  royalty  one  becomes  expert  in  seeing  that  long, 
graceful,  pointed  body  extending  far  back  of  the 
wings  which  characterises  the  queen.  If  the  bees 
are  not  too  much  disturbed,  she  is  likely  to  be  sur- 
rounded by  a  rosette  of  workers,  all  with  their  faces 
toward  her,  for  even  in  the  court  of  the  hive  etiquette 
does  not  permit  that  the  ladies-in-waiting  turn  their 
backs  to  the  queen.  If  for  any  reason  the  queen  is 
to  be  lifted  out,  she  should  be  seized  by  the  wings  or 


100  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

thorax  or  imprisoned  in  a  queen  trap,  but  never 
under  any  circumstances  should  she  be  seized  by 
the  abdomen.     (Plate  XVI,  Queen  trap.) 

CLIPPING  THE   queen's   WINGS 

This  does  not  mean  cutting  off  all  four  of  the 
wings,  but  that  the  wings  on  one  side  should  be 
clipped,  leaving  stubs  not  more  than  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  long.  Various  devices  have  been  invented  to 
aid  clumsy  hands  in  cutting  off  the  royal  petticoats. 
One,  the  ]\Ionette  queen-clipping  device,  is  a  little 
cone-shaped  cage  made  of  wire  laid  in  spirals.  She 
goes  into  this  cage  head  first  and  the  door  is  shut 
behind  her.  Then  the  scissors  are  slipped  between 
the  spirals  at  the  proper  point  and  the  deed  is  done. 
Another  simple  device  is  a  bit  of  section-board 
whittled  in  the  shape  of  a  tiny  bootjack  with  a  rubber 
band  stretched  rather  tightly  across  the  prongs. 
The  forks  are  placed  across  the  queen  so  that  the 
rubber  presses  against  the  thorax,  thus  pinning  her 
fast  to  the  comb  while  she  is  barbered.  The  only 
skill  needed  in  this  device  is  in  fixing  the  tension  of 
the  rubber  band  so  that  it  will  be  sufficient  to  hold 
her  majesty  fast,  and  yet  not  stiff  enough  to  hurt  her. 
Our  invariable  plan  is  as  follows:  After  the  queen 
is  discovered,  we  hold  the  brood  frame  in  one  hand, 
pick  up  her  royal  highness  in  the  other  most  gently, 
then  still  more  gently  set  the  frame  down,  leaning 
it  against  the  liive;  then,  holding  her  royal  person 
firmly  but  carefully  in  our  owm  unworthy  thumb  and 
fingers,  clip  her  wings  with  presuming  scissors;  then. 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    101 

putting  the  scissors  down  as  we  pick  up  the  frame, 
and  put  her  back  as  nearly  as  possible  on  the  spot 
where  we  found  her.  We  always  use  the  sharp- 
pointed  embroidery  scissors  for  this  delicate  opera- 
tion. 

HOW  TO   TAKE   OFF  HONEY   IN   SUPERS 

Lift  the  hive  cover  and  quilt  with  a  slight  intro- 
duction of  smoke,  then  lift  off  completely.  Smoke 
from  above  for  a  moment,  being  very  careful  not  to 
burn  the  bees,  always  remembering  that  smoke  is 
meant  to  scare  and  not  to  punish.  Then  loosen  the 
super  with  a  screw-driver  if  the  bees  have  fastened 
it  down  with  bee  glue,  lift  it  and  place  it  on  a  bottom- 
board  near  at  hand.  Put  on  an  unfilled  super  if  it 
is  needed  and  cover  the  hive.  Lift  the  honey- 
sections  out  of  the  super,  brushing  off  the  adhering 
bees  with  a  bee-brush,  so  that  they  will  fall  on  the 
doorstep  of  the  hive,  and  place  each  section  as  it  is 
cleaned  in  a  basket  or  box  in  which  it  is  to  be  carried 
to  the  store-room.  This  is  our  usual  way  of  pro- 
cedure when  our  apiary  is  small,  and  we  do  this 
work  during  spare  moments  which  are  not  predict- 
able the  night  before.  However,  there  is  one  best 
way  to  do  this  work,  and  that  is  to  put  on  a  Porter 
bee-escape  the  night  before  the  super  is  to  be  re- 
moved. Wise  from  experience,  we  advise  beginners 
to  study  this  device  and  become  imbued  with  a  knowl- 
edge of  its  workings  to  the  extent  of  being  able  to 
tell  which  is  the  upper  and  which  the  under  side,  lest 
disastrous  results  ensue  and  all  of  the  bees  escape 


102  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

into  the  super  instead  of  out  of  it.  If  the  bee-escape 
is  placed  on  the  night  before,  there  will  be  no 
bees  in  the  super  when  it  is  removed  next  day.  To 
introduce  a  bee-escape  one  does  not  need  to  lift  off 
the  super;  simply  lift  it  up  at  one  side,  send  a  little 
smoke  into  the  crack,  push  in  the  bee-escape,  and 
then  set  it  straight  upon  the  hive  and  the  super 
straight  upon  it.     (Plates  III,  XVIII.) 

The  novice  might  conclude  that  a  good  plan  would 
be  simply  to  set  off  the  super  near  the  hive,  and  let 
the  bees  find  their  own  way  back  to  their  brood  and 
kindred.  But  bee-nature  has  to  be  reckoned  with 
in  this  instance,  and  the  bees,  conscious  that  the 
honey  is  their  own,  are  likely  to  uncap  the  cells  and 
carry  the  honey  into  the  hive;  or  worse  still,  the  bees 
from  othe'^  hives  will  be  attracted  to  these  open 
stores  and  will  begin  to  rob.  And  in  the  bee  courts 
of  equity,  when  bees  begin  to  rob,  then  the  ''devil  is 
to  pay." 

There  have  been  various  bee-tents  devised  under 
which  the  supers  are  placed  after  being  removed 
from  the  hive.  These  tents  are  arranged  with  a 
little  hole  at  the  top  by  which  the  bees  may  escape, 
but  may  not  return.  Doctor  Miller  invented  a  sim- 
ple plan  of  piling  several  supers  filled  with  honey  on 
top  of  each  other,  leaving  no  crevices  between  them; 
over  these  was  spread  a  cloth  with  a  hole  in  the 
middle,  over  which  was  placed  a  wire  cone  with  a 
hole  in  the  top  large  enough  to  let  a  bee  pass  out. 
Thus  the  bees  from  all  of  the  sections  escaped,  one 
by  one,  and  robbing  was  avoided.     However,  the 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT    103 

bee-escapes  introduced  between  the  super  and  the 
hives  are  used  to-day  by  most  enterprising  bee-men. 

OBSERVATION-HIVES      (Frontispiece) 

Anyone  who  has  worked  long  with  bees,  cannot 
fail  to  become  filled  with  curiosity  concerning  the 
way  their  work  is  carried  on  in  the  mysterious  dark- 
ness of  the  hive;  to  such  a  person,  the  observation- 
hive  is  a  source  of  perennial  delight,  as  well  as  of 
interesting  and  useful  knowledge. 

Observation-hives  have  been  used  by  bee-keepers 
from  the  time  of  Huber  to  the  present,  and  naturally 
many  forms  of  them  have  been  devised.  The  type 
in  most  common  use  now  is  a  small  hive,  containing 
one,  two  or  three  frames,  and  furnished  with  glass 
sides,  through  which  the  bees  can  be  observed.  The 
glass  sides  are  covered  with  a  door  or  curtain,  except 
when  observations  are  being  made;  for,  if  not,  the 
bees  will  cover  the  glass  with  a  coat  of  propolis,  ren- 
dering it  opaque. 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  keep  a  colony  in  good 
condition  upon  a  single  frame;  and  if  two  or  more 
frames  are  used  side  by  side  the  observer  is  unable 
to  see  what  goes  on  between  the  frames.  Professor 
Kellogg,  of  Stanford  University,  has  devised  a  per- 
fectly satisfactory  two-frame  observation-hive  for  his 
laboratory.  It  consists  of  a  glass-sided  box,  large 
enough  to  hold  two  Langstroth  frames,  one  above 
the  other;  as  both  sides  of  the  comb  are  exposed, 
any    individual    bee    may   be    kept    constantly    in 


104  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

sight  while  she  is  working.  The  passage  which 
leads  from  the  hive  to  the  opening  in  the  window 
has  a  glass  top,  so  the  actions  of  the  bees  as  they 
enter  the  hive  may  be  watched.  A  hood  of  thick 
black  cloth  is  pulled  down  over  the  hive  when  the 
observations  are  finished.  Similar  observation  hives 
may  be  purchased  of  dealers  in  apiarists'  supplies. 
Such  an  observation-hive  would  be  of  great  value 
to  the  enterprising  bee-keeper,  as  it  would  be  the 
means  of  helping  him  to  understand  conditions 
which  were  puzzling,  and  thus  aid  him  in  dealing 
with  crises  that  are  sure  to  occur.  The  advantage 
of  this  hive  over  any  other  is  that  frames  from  any 
hive  may  be  kept  under  closest  observation.  But  if 
the  hive  were  a  means  of  interest  merely,  it  would 
still  be  worth  while,  for  the  bee-keeper  cannot  know 
too  much  about  the  ways  of  bees,  supposing  all  he 
knows  is  true. 

MAXIMS   FOR   OPENING   THE  HIVE 

Have  the  smoker  ready  to  give  forth  a  good  volume 
of  smoke. 

Use  the  smoker  to  scare  the  bees  rather  than  to 
punish  them. 

E/o  not  stand  in  front  of  the  hive  lest  the  bees 
passing  out  and  in  take  umbrage. 

Be  careful  not  to  drop  any  implements  with  which 
you  are  working;  take  hold  of  all  things  firmly. 

Move  steadily,  and  not  nervously. 

Do  not  run  if  frightened,  for  the  bees  understand 
what  running  away  means  as  well  as  you  do. 


HIVE,  AND  HOW  TO  HANDLE  IT   105 

If  the  bees  attack  you,  move  slowly  away,  smoking 
them  off  as  you  go. 

If  a  bee  annoys  you  by  her  threatening  attitude 
for  some  time,  kill  her  ruthlessly. 

If  stung  by  a  bee,  rub  off  the  sting,  instead  of 
pulling  it  out  with  the  nails  of  the  thumb  and  fore- 
finger and  thus  forcing  more  venom  into  the 
wound. 

Ammonia  applied  to  the  wound  made  by  a  bee- 
sting  will  usually  afford  immediate  relief. 


CHAPTER  IX 
DETAILS   CONCERNING  HONEY 

HOW   TO   MAKE   COMB-HONEY 

Every  bee-keeper  who  sends  to  the  market  honey 
in  the  comb  enfolded  in  an  attractive  carton,  or  with 
the  section  neatly  glazed,  has  produced  a  work  of 
art;  for  comb-honey  as  now  marketed  is  an  aesthetic 
production,  and  the  bee-keeper  is  an  artist  as  much 
as  if  he  had  painted  a  picture  or  had  fashioned  a 
jewel.  To  most  people  who  have  an  apiary  as  a 
pleasurable  adjunct  to  life  in  the  country,  the  pro- 
duction of  comb-honey  is  most  attractive,  while  the 
production  of  extracted  honey  does  not  appeal  to 
them  at  all.  Just  the  word  ''honey"  calls  to  the 
mind  of  most  people  a  vision  of  amber  sweetness 
set  in  white-walled,  waxen  cells. 

The  production  of  comb-honey  is  attended  by 
more  difficulties  than  is  the  production  of  extracted 
honey.  The  reason  for  this  is  largely  because  the 
bees  work  more  readily  in  cells  already  made  from 
which  the  honey  has  been  extracted,  than  they  do  in 
sections  where  they  must  undertake  all  of  the  expense 
and  labour  of  producing  wax  for  the  comb.  More 
than  this,  honey  may  be  extracted  from  the  comb 
106 


(c)     One  empty  section-holder,  and  one  filled  with  section-boxes,  in  which 

are  foundation-starters;  two  of  these  have  been  added  to  by  the  bees. 

PLATE  XIV 


DETAILS  CONCERNING  HONEY    107 

of  the  brood-chambers,  a  harvest  which  is  lost  to  the 
producer  of  comb-honey. 

For  the  production  of  comb-honey  it  is  necessary 
that  the  colony  winter  in  excellent  condition  and 
develop  much  well-fed  brood  early  in  the  season, 
so  that  there  shall  be  a  great  number  of  active  young 
workers  in  the  hive  just  before  the  chief  honey- 
harvest  of  the  summer  begins.  In  New  York  State 
we  have  two  large  honey  harvests,  that  of  the  bass- 
wood  in  July  and  the  buckwheat  in  August,  so  our 
colonies  are  made  strong  and  ready  by  the  last  of 
June.  In  order  to  have  the  bees  ready  to  work,  the 
swarming  fever  must  be  subdued  or  controlled  before 
this  period  of  honey-flow.  The  colonies  are  carefully 
watched  early  in  the  season,  and  if  after  the  first 
pollen-gathering  occurs  there  is  no  honey  coming  in, 
the  bees  are  fed  so  that  the  brood  may  be  developed. 
We  rarely  have  to  feed  at  this  season  of  the  year  as 
the  fruit  bloom  gives  our  bees  plenty  of  honey  for 
rearing  their  brood,  and  we  never  expect  any  sur- 
plus before  the  basswood  season. 

The  supers  are  put  on  when  there  is  plenty  of 
brood  and  plenty  of  honey  to  feed  to  it  in  the  hive; 
and  under  such  conditions  our  bees,  though  Italians, 
usually  push  up  into  the  sections  at  once.  We 
prepare  the  sections  with  mere  strips  of  wax  found- 
ation for  starters.      (Plate  XIV.) 

Supers  thus  equipped  put  on  at  this  time  and  under 
such  conditions  seem  to  take  away  all  desire  to 
swarm  on  the  part  of  the  bees,  if  the  queen  cells  have 
been  previously  removed. 


108  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

If  the  brood-chambers  are  crowded  when  the  super 
is  put  on,  the  queen  may  go  up  into  it  and  start 
brood.  This  rarely  occurs  with  us,  but  in  case  it 
does  a  queen-excluding  honey-board  may  be  intro- 
duced between  the  super  and  the  brood-chamber. 
Sometimes  a  colony  seems  unwilling  to  go  into  the 
super  after  it  has  been  added,  and  the  bees  will  hang 
on  the  outside  of  the  hive  and  threaten  to  swarm, 
and  through  doubt  and  vacillation  lose  two  or  three 
of  the  precious  days  of  the  basswood  harvest. 

The  usual  reason  why  the  bees  will  not  go  into 
the  super  is  that  they  are  not  sufficiently  crowded 
below;  if  they  have  room  they  prefer  to  store  their 
honey  in  the  brood  cells  rather  than  carry  it  to  the 
upper  story. 

If  a  colony  is  strong  and  has  plenty  of  brood  and 
honey  and  is  still  obstinate,  men  of  experience 
advise  the  taking  of  a  frame  of  sections  from  a  colony 
which  is  storing  in  the  supers  and  putting  bees  and 
all  in  the  midst  of  the  unused  super  of  the  reluctant 
colony.  We  have  never  tried  this  because  we  were 
never  obliged  to.  It  sounds  very  practical  and 
sensible,  and  it  is  practised  by  Mr.  Root,  and  that 
is  sufficient  recommendation. 

Our  way  of  coaxing  the  bees  into  a  super  which 
they  have  sedulously  ignored  is  to  place  in  it  some 
of  the  imperfect  sections,  which  are  not  worth  much 
in  the  market  and  which  contain  some  capped 
honey  and  many  empty  cells.  One  section-holder 
filled  in  this  way  seems  to  encourage  the  reluctant 
colony  to  climb  and  to  store  as  rapidly  as  possible. 


DETAILS  CONCERNING  HONEY     109 

In  large  apiaries  the  following  plan  is  followed: 
First,  put  on  a  super  of  shallow  extracting  frames 
from  which  the  honey  has  been  removed;  as  these 
cells  are  all  ready,  the  bees  are  likely  to  go  to  work 
in  them  at  once;  and  after  they  are  working  well 
raise  the  super,  and  put  in  one  below  it  filled  with 
sections  containing  starters,  and  all  will  be  well. 
In  dealing  with  this  phase  of  bee-keeping  it  is  well 
to  remember  that  full  sheets  of  foundation  in  the 
sections  are  more  attractive  to  the  bees  than  starters ; 
and  that  sections  containing  comb  already  made  are 
still  more  pleasing,  and  if  some  of  these  made  cells 
contain  honey,  their  attractiveness  is  doubled.  One 
condition  should  be  observed  in  putting  on  a  super 
in  the  summer:  it  should  be  shaded  in  some  way; 
if  it  is  in  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  the  heat  is  likely 
to  keep  the  bees  out  of  it.  However,  later  in  the 
season  bees  may  be  induced  to  work  in  the  super 
by  placing  over  it  a  cushion  so  that  it  will  be  warm. 

TIERING   UP 

If  the  honey  is  coming  in  at  a  good  rate,  and  the 
bees  are  working  well,  when  the  sections  in  the  super 
are  something  more  than  half  full,  lift  it  up  and  place 
another  containing  sections  with  starters  beneath 
it.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  the  bees  would  not 
naturally  go  into  the  empty  super  if  it  were  placed 
on  top  until  the  other  was  completely  filled.  But 
with  this  plan  they  continue  working  in  the  super, 
even  though  it  be  on  top,  and  meanwhile  find  it 
"handy"   to   fill   the  intervening  sections.     If  the 


no  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

honey-flow  is  great,  even  another  super  may  be 
placed  next  the  hive  and  below  the  other  two.  How- 
ever, in  our  practice  we  rarely  put  on  more  than  two, 
usually  taking  off  the  top  one  when  we  need  to  inter- 
polate another.  This  process  is  called  "storifying" 
in  the  English  books,  which  is  a  most  graphic  term 
and  should  be  introduced  into  our  nomenclature. 

TAKING   OFF   SECTIONS.      (Plate  XX.) 

In  taking  off  the  sections  we  do  not  need  to  wait 
for  the  completion  of  every  one  in  the  super.  The 
outside  rows  are  rarely  perfect,  and  we  usually  put 
these  unfinished  sections  back  on  some  other  hive 
to  be  finished. 

These  unfinished  sections,  if  not  too  empty,  serve 
very  well  to  sweeten  the  daily  bread  of  the  home 
table.  If  sent  to  the  market  they  bring  low  prices, 
and  the  bee-keeper  who  is  working  for  comb-honey 
should  plan  to  have  as  few  of  them  as  possible.  While 
the  honey  left  long  in  the  super  has  a  much  finer 
flavour  than  that  which  is  removed  early,  yet  care 
should  be  taken  not  to  leave  the  sections  on 
the  hive  so  long  that  the  comb  becomes  soiled. 
It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  honey  ripened  in 
the  hive  gains  special  richness,  as  if  it  were 
somehow  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  little 
socialists  that  make  it. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  season  it  is  best  not  to  tier 
up,  but  to  place  an  empty  super  on  top.  The  bees 
will  not  use  it  unless  necessary,  but  will  devote  their 
energies  to  the  sections  below.    The  great  danger 


PLATE  XVII.     •   IX 


Photo_^rnph   by 

APPLE-BLOSSOM    TIME' 


DETAILS  CONCERNING  HONEY     111 

to  be  avoided  in  tiering  up  is  a  surplus  of  partly 
filled  sections,  and  the  way  we  avoid  this  is  not  to 
interpolate  a  super  until  the  one  on  the  hive  is  at 
least  three-fourths  filled. 

STAINED   SECTIONS 

A  regular  part  of  bee  exercise  consists  of  prom- 
enading up  and  down  and  across  the  sealed  honey; 
the  bee  has  not  as  yet,  unfortunately,  attained  the 
fastidiousness  which  leads  her  to  wipe  any  of  her 
six  feet  carefully  before  entering  her  domicile,  con- 
sequently the  sections  of  honey  thus  walked  over 
may  be  stained  and  unmarketable.  There  is  no 
remedy  for  this  except  to  look  after  the  supers  care- 
fully, and  take  out  the  sections  before  they  are 
soiled. 

Some  sections  may  look  dirty  because  old  wax  is 
used  in  making  the  caps.  If  such  is  the  case,  and 
it  is  simply  yellow,  the  wax  may  be  bleached  by 
standing  it  in  the  sun  or  by  subjecting  it  to  sulphur 
fumes.  Some  apiarists  have  special  rooms  and 
others  tight  boxes  for  the  sulphur  bleaching.  Only 
two  things  are  necessary  to  accomplish  this  success- 
fully; first,  that  the  room  or  box  be  tight;  second, 
that  the  sulphur  placed  in  an  iron  dish  be  heated 
so  that  the  fumes  are  strong  and  all-pervading.  Some 
say  that  the  sulphur  should  be  heated  so  that  if  a 
match  be  touched  to  it  it  will  flame.  The  combs 
need  not  be  subjected  to  such  fumes  more  than 
a  half-hour  to  become  as  white  as  they  can 
be  bleached. 


112  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

SCRAPING   THE   SECTIONS 

In  preparing  comb-honey  for  the  market,  it  is 
necessary  to  first  scrape  the  propolis  from  the 
sections  so  as  to  leave  the  wood  white  and  beautiful. 
To  do  this  the  section  should  be  set  square  on  and 
in  line  with  the  edge  of  a  table,  and  below  should  be 
a  pan  to  receive  the  scrapings.  Hold  the  section 
firmly  in  one  hand  and  scrape  the  side  that  is  in  line 
with  the  edge  of  the  table  with  a  downward  stroke 
of  the  knife;  a  case-knife  is  best  for  this.  To  scrape 
the  wood  clean  and  not  in  any  way  injure  the  honey, 
and  to  do  the  work  rapidly,  measure  the  skill  attained 
in  this  business.  In  scraping  the  sections  it  is  best 
to  have  four  of  the  shipping-boxes  at  hand,  so  that 
the  honey  may  be  graded  and  placed  in  its  proper 
class  as  it  is  cleaned. 

GRADING   COMB-HONEY 

First,  as  to  the  way  the  sections  are  filled,  or  in 
other  words,  as  to  the  bee  technique.  There  are 
three  grades — ^Fancy,  No.  1,  and  No.  2.  In  the 
fancy  grade  almost  every  cell  is  well  filled,  and  the 
comb  has  the  surface  evenly  built  and  well  capped. 
No.  1  has  an  even  surface  and  is  well  filled,  but  may 
not  be  so  perfect  in  the  corners  as  is  the  fancy. 
No.  2  must  be  at  least  three-fourths  full.  Anything 
below  No.  2  is  called  chunk  honey  if  sold  in  the 
comb,  but  it  is  more  profitable  to  extract  honey  from 
all  sections  that  range  below  No.  2. 

Second,  as  to  the  colour  of  honey:    It  is  graded 


DETAILS  CONCERNING  HONEY     113 

as  white,  amber,  buckwheat  and  dark,  and  these 
need  no  explanation.  Thus  honey  is  Hsted  perhaps 
as  "fancy  white,"  or  "fancy  buckwheat'';  in  each 
case  it  is  the  best  of  its  kind. 

SHIPPING-CASES 

These  should  be  ordered  rather  than  made,  as  a 
good-looking  shipping-case  adds  materially  to  the 
value  of  the  honey.  These  cases  come  in  different 
sizes,  and  have  one  side  made  of  glass  so  that  the 
handlers  may  see  that  the  contents  are  fragile,  and 
therefore  may  possibly  be  persuaded  to  deal  with 
them  gently;  the  cases  come  in  flats  and  are  easily 
put  together.  For  anything  that  looks  so  well  put 
up  as  honey  sealed  in  its  perfect  cells,  it  has  a  most 
amazing  capacity  for  leaking.  Once,  in  the  enthu- 
siasm of  girlhood  and  inexperience,  I  carried  some 
honey  carefully  packed  in  a  box  in  my  trunk,  hoping 
to  give  a  friend  a  treat.  Needless  to  say  that  honey 
was  "linked  sweetness  long  drawn  out,"  by  the  time 
I  arrived  at  my  destination;  and  all  the  clothes  that 
I  carried  in  my  trunk  were  literally  "too  sweet  for 
any  use." 

Shipping  comb-honey  to  market  is  likely  to  be  a 
disastrous  performance  at  best,  since  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  guard  against  careless  handling.  Some 
ship  in  glass-covered  sections  which  protect  the 
comb,  and  make  a  very  attractive  appearing  pro- 
duct. 

Shipping  the  sections  in  cartons  is  winning  its  way 
now  for  fancy  grades.     A  carton  is  a  pasteboard 


114  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

box  which  may  be  bought  in  flats  with  the  shipper's 
name  printed  upon  it.  While  these  cartons  may  be 
bought  in  almost  any  style,  from  perfectly  plain  to 
those  highly  ornamented,  and  provided  with  tape 
handles,  yet  we  believe  there  is  a  chance  for  personal 
initiative  in  this  particular  field.  An  artistic  design 
in  pretty  colours,  individual  and  unique,  would 
certainly  prove  a  special  attraction  for  selling  honey 
in  cartons.  The  great  advantage  gained  from  the 
use  of  the  carton  is  that  the  honey  reaches  the  con- 
sumer in  a  neat  package  without  further  handling, 
and  may  be  carried  like  a  box  of  bonbons.  When 
cartons  are  used  the  shipping  case  should  be  a  size 
larger  than  for  the  plain  sections. 

MARKETING   COMB-HONEY 

There  are  two  ways  of  marketing  honey  open  to 
most  bee-keepers.  First  and  best,  the  local  market. 
If  the  honey  can  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  grocer 
directly  from  the  bee-keeper,  certain  advantages 
accrue.  The  comb  is  not  broken  by  much  careless 
handling,  and  it  reaches  the  market  in  good  shape. 
Though  the  price  may  be  somewhat  lower  perhaps 
than  the  highest  quoted  prices,  yet  it  is  reliable,  and 
there  is  no  discount  for  breakage  in  shipping,  and 
for  differences  of  opinion  in  grading.  It  is  certainly 
far  more  satisfactory  for  all  concerned  to  place 
comb-honey  on  the  home  market;  this  is  usually 
practicable  for  all  except  the  greater  apiarists.  We 
know  one  man  who  has  about  forty  hives,  and  who 
lives  in  a  town  of  about  three  hundred  inhabitants; 


DETAILS  CONCERNING  HONEY     115 

though  he  produces  a  reasonable  amount  of  honey 
he  very  inadequately  supplies  the  demand  for  it  in 
this  little  village,  and  he  receives  city  prices. 

The  second  and  least  desirable  method  of  mar- 
keting comb-honey  is  to  ship  it  to  a  commission 
merchant.  If  this  is  done,  it  is  well  to  select  a  mid- 
dleman in  whom  we  have  absolute  confidence,  or 
we  are  likely  soon  to  become  pessimistic  regarding 
his  honesty;  so  frequently  is  the  price  of  honey 
reduced  on  account  of  breakage  and  leaking  and 
other  accidents  which  this  very  frail  delicacy  is  heir 
to,  that  we  rarely  realise  the  prices  quoted  in  the 
newspapers.  If  a  good  middleman  can  be  found, 
then  our  advice  is  to  stick  to  him,  and  send  him  the 
very  best  product  possible,  fairly  graded  and  in  the 
most  attractive  form,  hoping  that  he  may  be  able  to 
do  for  us  what  we  should  do  for  ourselves,  and  that 
is,  work  up  a  special  market. 

STORING   COMB-HONEY 

It  is  far  better  to  market  comb-honey  the  year 
it  is  made.  However,  if  it  is  to  be  stored,  it  must 
be  placed  in  a  room  that  has  a  constant  temperature 
above  60°  F.  It  is  best  to  fumigate  the  sections  if 
there  is  any  danger  from  the  bee-moth,  for  this  little 
rascal  will  destroy  a  great  amount  of  comb-honey  in 
a  very  short  time.     (See  "  Bee-Moth.") 

CANDIED   COMB-HONEY 

Some  kinds  of  honey  will  granulate  much  sooner 
than  others.     The  longer  the  honey  is  left  in  the  hive 


116  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

and  the  more  perfectly  it  is  ripened,  the  less  liable 
it  is  to  granulate.  Extracted  honey  will  candy 
much  sooner  than  honey  left  in  the  comb.  We  have 
kept  comb-honey  more  than  a  year  without  crystals 
appearing  in  it.  The  only  way  to  prevent  comb- 
honey  from  candying  is  to  keep  it  in  a  temperature 
that  does  not  fall  below  60  degrees.  After  honey 
is  candied  in  the  comb,  nothing  can  be  done  with 
it  except  to  sell  it  at  a  lower  price,  or  keep  it  to  feed 
back  to  the  bees.  The  latter  is  probably  the  most 
profitable  way  to  dispose  of  it.  Some  people  like 
comb-honey  after  it  is  granulated  and  the  home- 
table  may  use  a  certain  amount  of  it. 

MAXIMS   FOR  PRODUCING   COMB-HONEY 

Keep  the  colonies  strong. 

The  bees  should  be  kept  warm  and  well  fed  in  the 
spring. 

The  bees  must  have  wintered  well. 

The  colony  must  have  brood  and  plenty  of  honey  in 
the  brood-chambers  at  the  beginning  of  the  honey 
season. 

Never  let  the  honey  in  sections  or  supers  be 
exposed  in  the  apiary  to  incite  robbery. 

Keep  the  sections  in  a  room  in  w^hich  the  tem- 
perature never  falls  below  60°. 

Fumigate  the  sections  before  they  are  stored  if 
you  are  troubled  with  bee-moth. 

Send  the  honey  to  market  in  as  attractive  form 
as  possible.  Make  your  product  individual  in  ap- 
pearance, and  strive  to  create  for  it  a  special  market. 


CHAPTER  X 
EXTRACTED    HONEY 

HOW   TO    PRODUCE   IT 

It  is  certainly  fortunate  for  bee-keepers  that 
centrifugal  force  is  one  of  the  unalterable  laws  of 
the  physical  world.  However,  this  force  might  never 
have  been  of  any  use  to  the  apiarist  had  it  not  been 
for  a  certain  Major  Francesco  de  Hruschka  of 
Venice,  who  is  a  most  interesting  figure  in  the  history 
of  bee-keeping.  Next  in  importance  to  the  inven- 
tion of  the  movable  frames  by  the  venerable  Lang- 
stroth  was  the  invention  of  the  honey-extractor.  We 
have  a  picture  of  Major  Hruschka  in  our  minds 
as  not  only  a  brave  man  of  war  as  indicated  by  his 
military  rank,  but  also  as  a  happy  man  of  peace, 
who  loved  his  hives  with  their  little  citizens,  and 
who  also  possessed  notable  domestic  virtues  and 
loved  the  companionship  of  his  children  and  was 
interested  in  their  doings.  For  it  was  when  his 
little  son  accompanied  him  to  his  apiary  and,  having 
a  comb  full  of  honey  set  up  in  a  basket,  began  whirl- 
ing it  boy-like  by  the  rope  attached  to  the  handle, 
that  the  Major  discovered  the  honey  was  being 
thrown  out  of  the  comb  by  this  action.  Instead  of 
spanking  the  boy  as  most  fathers  would  have  done, 
117 


118  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

the  thoughtful  INIajor  cogitated  on  the  fact  that  such 
a  simple  motion  should  have  emptied  the  comb  of 
honey,  and  he  straightway  proceeded  to  invent  the 
first  honey-extractor.  This  was  in  1865;  up  to  that 
time  the  liquid  honey  was  extracted  by  a  method 
which  we  remember  well.  The  comb  was  crushed, 
and  with  it  too  often,  alas!  the  dead  bees,  larvse 
and  any  dirt  whatsoever  that  happened  to  be  present; 
this  mixture  was  suspended  in  a  cloth  bag,  over  a 
tub  or  vat  in  a  warm  room;  and  the  honey,  carrying 
with  it  much  of  the  debris,  slowly  dripped  out  reeking 
with  an  aroma  and  a  flavour  quite  unknown  in  these 
regenerate  days,  and  forming  a  product  that  may 
well  be  spared  from  the  world's  marts. 

Since  1S65,  many  honey-extractors  have  been 
invented  in  America,  and  almost  all  of  them  which 
have  survived  the  test  of  use  are  satisfactory.  The 
perfection  of  the  invention  is  an  automatically 
reversible  machine  with  ball  bearings,  highly  geared 
in  order  to  attain  the  maximum  of  steadiness  and 
rapidity  with  the  appliance  of  a  minimum  of  power. 

The  principle  of  construction  underlying  all  of  the 
best  extractors  is  a  cylindrical  can  containing  wire 
pockets  in  which  the  combs  are  set  on  edge,  and 
which  are  revolved  by  being  geared  to  a  crank  at  the 
top  of  the  can.  There  is  room  for  more  or  less 
honey  below  the  wire  pockets,  and  at  the  bottom  of 
the  can  is  a  faucet  or  honey  gate,  through  which 
the  extracted  honey  may  be  drawn  off  into  a  pail  or 
vat. 

The  extractor  is  a  very  excellent  adjunct  to  any 


EXTRACTED  HONEY  119 

apiary,  however  small,  even  if  comb-honey  is  the 
chief  product,  for  it  saves  much  honey  that  other- 
wise would  be  wasted.  When  the  apiary  consists  of 
less  than  forty  hives  of  bees,  one  of  the  small  non- 
reversible extractors  may  be  used.  These  weigh 
less  and  cost  less ;  but  every  frame  of  comb  has  to  be 
taken  out  after  the  honey  has  been  extracted  on  one 
side  and  reversed  and  put  back  in  order  to  clear  the 
honey  from  the  other  side.  Though  the  automatic 
reversible  machine  costs  more  and  is  heavier,  it  is 
far  more  satisfactory  on  the  whole,  if  there  is  much 
honey  to  be  extracted. 

EXTRACTING-FRAMES 

The  frames  used  for  extracting  honey  are  in  form 
similar  to  those  which  hold  the  brood,  except  they 
may  not  be  so  deep.  However,  most  bee-keepers 
use  both  supers  containing  the  shallow  extracting- 
frames,  and  also  those  filled  with  frames  of  the  full 
depth.  The  bees  will  go  into  the  shallow  frames 
more  readily  than  into  the  deeper  ones,  as  they  are 
better  able  to  keep  the  small  chambers  warm.  But 
if  the  colony  is  very  strong  and  the  harvest  good,  the 
deeper  frames  are  acceptable  to  the  bees  and  save 
the  time  of  the  bee-keeper.     (Plate  XVIII.) 

WHEN   TO   EXTRACT   HONEY 

Some  producers  practice  extracting  the  honey 
before  it  is  capped,  so  as  to  save  the  trouble  and 
expense  of  uncapping.  There  is  one  danger  attend- 
ing this  method :  the  green,  unripened  honey  is  thus 


120  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

often  extracted,  and  it  is  the  most  insipid  of  sweets. 
Honey  needs  to  ripen  slowly  in  a  warm  temperature 
in  order  to  be  palatable.  Some,  like  Quinby,  advo- 
cate the  ripening  of  honey  in  vats  or  evaporators 
after  it  has  been  extracted.  But  it  is  the  consensus 
of  opinion  that  honey  to  be  of  perfect  flavour  needs 
to  ripen  in  the  warm,  bee-odour-laden  atmosphere 
of  the  hive.  The  bees  ordinarily  leave  the  honey 
uncapped  for  some  time  as  it  thus  ripens  more 
readily.  Therefore,  those  who  produce  an  espe- 
cially fine  quality  of  extracted  honey  usually  begin 
to  tier  up  as  soon  as  the  super  is  fairly  filled  and 
before  the  honey  is  capped.  The  bees  have  ample 
room  to  go  on  storing  honey  in  the  interpolated 
super,  and  do  not  bother  to  cap  the  honey  already 
stored  above.  Thus  these  supers,  three  or  four  or  as 
many  as  practicable,  are  left  on  the  hive  until  the 
end  of  the  honey  harvest,  and  thus  the  honey  attains 
its  proper  ripeness  and  flavour. 

There  a.e  others  who  claim  that  honey  is  never 
properly  ripened  until  capped,  and  therefore  practice 
tiering  after  the  cells  of  comb  are  at  least  partly 
covered. 

UNCAPPING.         (Plate  XIX.) 

There  are  various  knives  invented  for  this  process, 
the  Bingham  uncapping-knife  being  the  favourite. 
It  is  used  thus:  The  frame  containing  the  honey 
standing  on  one  end  and  leaning  over  a  receptacle 
for  the  caps  is  held  with  the  left  hand,  the  knife  in 
the  right  hand  begins  at  the  bottom  of  the  comb 


EXTRACTED  HONEY  121 

and  running  backward  and  forward  as  it  is  moved 
upward  shears  off  very  neatly  the  covering  of  the 
cells.  The  knife  must  be  very  sharp,  and  skill  in 
cutting  is  shown  in  just  the  merest  film  of  wax  which 
is  removed.  A  pan  of  hot  water  should  be  at  hand 
on  an  oil  stove  perhaps ;  every  time  a  sheet  of  capping 
is  removed,  the  knife  needs  to  be  scraped  on  a  stick, 
which  will  not  dull  it;  and  quite  often  it  should  be 
dipped  in  the  hot  water  to  clean  it.  If  there  is 
much  uncapping  to  be  done,  it  is  best  to  have  two 
knives,  keeping  one  in  the  pan;  for  cleanliness  and 
heat  are  quite  as  potent  factors  as  is  sharpness  in 
making  the  uncapping  knife  effective. 

There  are  on  the  market  uncapping-cans,  the 
Dadant  being  the  most  popular.  It  is  a  double  can 
with  an  arrangement  on  top  convenient  for  holding 
the  end  of  the  frame  on  a  pivot  and  with  wooden 
cross-pieces  on  which  the  knife  may  be  wiped.  Below 
there  is  a  wire  screen  for  holding  the  cappings,  with 
a  space  in  the  bottom  of  the  can  for  the  honey  which 
drains  off,  and  which  is  always  of  the  most  excellent 
and  delicious  quality.  Of  course,  the  cappings  are 
saved  to  be  made  into  beeswax. 

CARE   OF   EXTRACTED  HONEY 

Honey,  whether  in  the  comb  or  out,  will  crystallise 
when  subjected  to  low  temperature  or  when  left 
standing  for  a  long  time.  However,  extracted  honey 
crystallises  much  more  readily  than  that  which  is 
in  combs;  and  this  crystallisation  is  one  of  the 
problems  of  putting  up  and  marketing  extracted 


122  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

honey.  To  prevent  it  extracted  honey  should  be 
evaporated  until  it  is  thick,  sealed  while  hot  in  air- 
tight cans,  and  kept  in  a  room  the  temperature  of 
which  never  falls  below  65°  F.  It  should  be  kept 
in  tin  or  galvanised  iron  cans,  rather  than  in  wood. 
Some  people  seem  to  have  been  successful  in  using 
wooden  vessels  for  holding  the  honey  after  having 
given  them  a  coating  of  wax;  but  the  way  honey  gets 
through  small  places  is  more  proverbial  among  bee- 
keepers than  is  the  ability  of  the  stingy  man  to  do 
the  same;  even  when  a  tub  or  pan  seems  water-tight 
the  honey  will  triumphantly  work  its  passage 
through. 

In  order  to  preserve  extracted  honey  in  packages 
it  must  be  canned  or  bottled,  and  the  air  entirely 
excluded.  There  are  two  methods  of  accomplish- 
ing this :  First,  the  honey  is  heated  in  bulk,  and  run 
off  into  hot  cans  or  bottles.  Second,  the  honey  is 
put  in  the  bottles  first  and  then  heated;  in  both 
cases  the  honey  is  heated  by  hot  water.  Perhaps  the 
easier  method  is  to  heat  it  in  bulk,  and  if  there  is  not 
at  hand  a  double  boiler,  one  can  be  improvised  by 
using  a  wash-boiler  in  which  pails  containing  the 
honey  may  be  set.  In  any  case  the  honey  and  the 
water  surrounding  it  should  be  of  the  temperature  of 
the  room  to  begin  with;  then  a  slow,  steady  fire  is 
needed  to  bring  the  temperature  of  the  water  up  to 
160°  F.  Mr.  Root  advises  the  use  of  a  gasoline 
stove  for  this  purpose  as  the  heat  may  thus  be  care- 
fully regulated,  and  it  is  very  important  that  the 
process  be  a  slow  one.     After  the  temperature  of  the 


Taking  off  upper  story  of  hive  containing  rombs  fcexiractncr.     The  bees  have 

II  e  I  r  m  '\erl  f  cm  the  su  .ers  by  tlie  lee-esrap    see'i  nt  tho  liglit. 


Photographs  by  Verne  Morton 

Extracting-room    showing  extractor,   strainer,   uncapping  can,   bee-escape, 

smoker,  uncapping  knife,  gloves,  funnel,  supers  and  sections,  extractor  pocket 

containing  extracted  sections,  partly  filled  sections  as  yet  uncnpped,  extracting 

frame  with  comb,  etc. 

PLATE   XVIII 


EXTRACTED  HONEY  123 

honey  reaches  160°  F.  it  may  be  poured  into  freshly 
scalded  cans  or  bottles  and  sealed,  air-tight.  If 
bottles  are  used,  the  corks  should  have  paraffine 
poured  over  them  so  as  to  make  sure  of  excluding 
the  air. 

PACKAGES   FOR   EXTRACTED   HONEY.      (Plate  XXI.) 

Mason  fruit  jars  are  extensively  used  for  this  as 
they  are  practical,  cheap  and  useful  afterward.  The 
No.  25  honey-jar,  somewhat  resembling  the  Mason 
can,  is  made  purposely  for  putting  up  honey,  and  is 
attractive  in  appearance.  The  Muth  bottles  are 
made  in  four  sizes  for  extracted  honey;  the  largest 
holding  two  pounds,  and  the  smallest  a  quarter 
of  a  pound.  These  bottles  are  decorated  with  a 
design  of  an  old  straw  skep,  and  bear  the  prophetic 
inscription  "pure  honey"  moulded  into  the  glass. 
Jelly-glasses  are  often  used  and  paraffined  paper  is 
placed  over  the  honey,  just  as  it  is  placed  over  jelly 
to  exclude  the  air  before  the  tin  cover  is  put  on. 
Glass  packages  are  by  all  means  the  most  attractive 
for  extracted  honey  in  small  quantities.  However, 
tin  pails  of  various  sizes  are  in  use,  and  may  be  ser- 
viceable for  a  cheap  and  inferior  grade  of  honey, 
which  is  thus  made  ready  for  the  consumer  who  is 
willing  to  buy  "aside  unseen."  But  a  fine  quality 
of  honey  rejoices  in  the  light  of  day  and  in  the 
scrutiny  of  eyes  which  may  look  at  it  first  critically 
and  then  longingly. 

The  most  practical  packages  for  shipping  honey 
in  quantity  are  the  large,  square  cans  in  common  use 


124  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

which  hold  sixty  pounds  each.  These  are  convenient 
for  shipping  and  for  measuring  and  are  safe  from 
breakage. 

The  advantages  of  extracted  honey  over  that  of 
comb-honey  are:  Almost  double  the  honey  may  be 
produced,  because  the  bees  having  no  comb  to  build, 
devote  their  energies  to  storing  honey;  and  also  the 
honey  from  the  brood-combs  may  be  extracted;  it  is 
more  easily  and  safely  handled  and  shipped;  it  is 
more  easily  produced,  since  the  bees  work  more 
readily  in  the  emptied  cells  of  the  extracted  combs 
than  in  sections  where  they  are  obliged  to  build  new 
cells ;  swarming  is  more  easily  controlled,  because  the 
bees  more  readily  accept  the  enlargement  of  their 
quarters  when  the  supers  contain  fully  made  comb, 
also  larger  hives  may  be  used. 

The  disadvantages  are:  It  is  more  ''mussy"  and 
requires  special  apparatus;  and  unless  great  care 
is  given,  the  bees  will  be  starved  through  this  con- 
venient way  of  pilfering  their  stores. 

MAXIMS   FOR   THE   PRODUCER   OF   EXTRACTED  HONEY 

Use  glass  or  tin,  rather  than  wood,  for  honey 
receptacles. 

Be  careful  not  to  expose  the  honey  as  you  take  it 
out  of  the  supers,  lest  the  bees  begin  robbing. 

Honey  should  be  canned  while  hot,  and  kept  from 
the  air. 

Heating  honey  to  a  higher  temperature  than  160° 
destroys  its  flavour. 


EXTRACTED  HONEY  125 

Cooling  honey  to  a  temperature  below  60°  pro- 
duces granulation. 

Work  in  a  warm  room. 

Have  a  label  of  your  own,  with  some  unique  and 
individual  design,  which,  when  placed  on  the  pack- 
age, will  render  it  attractive. 


CHAPTER  XI 
POINTS  ABOUT  BEESWAX 

HOW  TO   MAICE   IT 

Beeswax  is  a  unique  product;  the  little  socialists 
of  the  hive  have  formed  a  trust  for  its  manufacture, 
which  for  many  and  good  reasons  has  never  been 
infringed  upon.  The  special  value  of  beeswax  is 
that  it  retains  its  cohesiveness  and  ductibility,  under 
both  higher  and  lower  temperatures,  than  do  other 
kinds  of  wax.  It  has  a  specific  gravity  of  960-972, 
and  melts  at  143-145°  F. 

Beeswax  has  been  in  demand  in  the  world  since 
ancient  times,  being  put  to  many  and  diverse  uses. 
Now,  however,  the  making  of  foundation-comb  is 
the  most  important  of  these  uses  and  most  affects 
the  beeswax  market  of  to-day.  Countless  thousands 
of  sheets  of  wax-foundation  are  manufactured 
yearly  in  America.  When  foimdation  was  first 
used  it  was  thought  that  it  might  be  adulterated 
safely  with  parafiine,  but  it  was  soon  found  that 
beeswax  thus  adulterated,  when  subjected  to  the 
heat  of  the  hive  in  summer,  would  invariably  bulge, 
buckle  and  sag.  We  know  an  apiarist  who  lost 
money,  honey,  bees  and  temper  through  trying  to  use 
this  kind  of  foundation,  which  did  not  stand  firm. 
126 


Extracted  honey  in  pnils— candied 


Photographs  by  Verne  Morton 
Extracted  honey  in  glass  jars  ready  for  market. 
PLATE  XX  [ 


POINTS  ABOUT  BEESWAX  127 


THE   PRIMITIVE  METHOD 

The  process  of  making  wax  from  honey-comb 
may  be  primitive  and  yet  quite  successful.  Well  do 
we  remember  the  method  as  practised  in  the  days 
of  our  early  youth  in  the  kitchen  of  the  old  farm- 
house, usually  a  comfortable  and  altogether  delight- 
ful room.  Its  yellow-painted  floor  seemed  to  have 
caught  the  sunshine  streaming  in  through  white- 
curtained  windows  and  held  it  there  for  us  to  tread 
upon.  The  chintz-covered  settee  and  Boston  rockers, 
and  a  few  widths  of  bright  rag  carpet,  made  one  end 
a  cozy  sitting-room.  At  the  opposite  end  the  cup- 
boards, their  shelves  covered  with  elaborately  scal- 
loped newspapers,  and  beset  with  orderly  dishes  and 
tinware,  bespoke  the  kitchen.  Midway  between 
stood  the  heavy  cherry  drop-leaf  table  which  revealed 
the  dining-room;  in  the  midst  of  this  Protean  apart- 
ment stood  the  cook-stove,  polished  so  that  it  would 
put  to  shame  the  rosewood  case  of  a  piano,  bearing 
on  its  top  the  pink-copper  tea-kettle  singing  gayly 
after  its  daily  bath  of  cleansing  buttermilk,  and 
holding  within  the  roaring  fire  which  ever  seemed 
the  spirit  and  soul  of  the  place.  The  neatness  that 
held  sway  in  this  kitchen  was  the  perfect  sort  that 
conduces  to  comfort,  and  not  to  misery.  Only 
at  certain  periods  was  this  delectable  room  given 
over  to  discomfort  and  untidiness;  these  included 
"wash-days,"  the  days  following  the  yearly  sacrificial 
rite  of  butchering  and  the  days  when  beeswax 
was  made. 


128  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

We  were  wont  to  make  beeswax  as  follows:    The 
broken  combs  were  packed  in  a  muslin  bag  which 
was  weighted  by  a  sinker  and  hung  in  the  wash- 
boiler  by  tying   the  bag  to  the  poker,  which  was 
placed  crosswise  the  top.     By  this  contrivance  the 
bag  was  completely  surrounded  by  water,  which 
filled  the  boiler,  and  yet  did  not  touch  the  bottom, 
and  so  there  was  no  danger  of  burning;  the  cloth 
acted  as  a  strainer  and  the  bag  was  pressed  occa- 
sionally;   this  act  being  judiciously  performed  by 
means   of   the   tongs,   which   had   previously   been 
cleaned.     After  the  wax  had  boiled  out  the  boiler 
was  taken  off  and  the  whole  contents  cooled,  after 
which  the  wax  was  taken  from  the  top  in  pieces  and 
remelted  in  a  dish  set  on  the  back  side  of  the  stove 
so  as  not  to  burn,  then  poured  into  oiled  bread-tins, 
and  thus  caked  for  the  market.     Some  of  it  was 
clarified  for  special  use  thus:     It  was  allowed  to 
simmer  on  the  back  of  the  stove  for  some  hours  in 
water  to  which  vinegar  had  been  added,  and  then 
was  dipped  off  into  scalloped  patty-tins  and  a  neat 
little  loop  of  cord  inserted  at  one  side.     These  cakes 
when  cooled  had  a  long  though  scarified  existence 
ensconced  in  work-baskets  with  spools  of  thread, 
for    wax    thus    cleaned    and    prepared    made  very 
pretty    little    gifts    for    lady-friends.     But    the    ex- 
perience   of    rendering    wax   was    never   complete 
without   spilling   some   of   it   on   the   stove,  which 
spread    with    fearful    rapidity    and    smoked    with 
stifling   smoke;    because   of    the    certainty  of    this 
accident  we  always  made  the  beeswax  in  the  late 


POINTS  ABOUT  BEESWAX  129 

fall,  lest  our  bees  regarding  the  pungent  smoke  as  a 
direct  invitation  should  come  visiting  in  embarrassing 
numbers. 

Sundry  old  pieces  of  rag  carpet  were  spread  on  the 
floor  around  the  stove  to  keep  the  yellow  paint  intact 
from  the  wax,  which  was  so  hard  to  clean  off.  We 
had  no  benzine  in  those  days,  and  our  only  resort 
was  boiling  hot  water,  which  cleaned  off  the  paint  as 
well  as  the  wax. 

One  privilege  that  was  always  granted  to  us 
children  on  this  day  was  that  of  having  "our  fingers 
made.''  As  the  wax  was  cooling  the  finger  was 
dipped  in  it,  and  the  film  was  cooled  while  the  finger 
was  held  very  still;  then  the  film  was  slipped  off, 
a  crucial  point  in  the  process,  and  used  as  a  mould 
into  which  was  poured  the  cooling  wax;  and  presto! 
there  was  the  finger  as  natural  as  life  to  every  crease 
and  wrinkle,  but  with  a  death-like  pallor  that 
rendered  the  row  of  fingers  thus  made  a  fascinatingly 
gruesome  collection,  as  if  they  had  been  chopped  off 
with  a  hatchet. 

This  old  process  of  rendering  wax  in  the  wash- 
boiler  is  still  practised  where  apiaries  are  small. 
Mr.  Root  advises  the  following  modification: 
Sticks  are  placed  crosswise  the  bottom  of  the  boiler 
on  which  the  bag  is  placed;  the  bag  is  packed  very 
full  of  wax  by  pressing  the  comb  into  balls  with  the 
hands  before  it  is  put  in.  Water  is  added  and  the 
whole  is  placed  upon  the  stove  and  brought  slowly 
to  a  boil,  then  a  board  that  acts  as  a  follower  on  the 
bag  is  placed  on  top  with  a  heavy  weight  upon  it; 


130  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

this  acts  as  a  press  and  decreases  the  bulk  in  the 
bag,  leaving  the  wax  floating  on  the  surface. 

THE    SOLAR    WAX-EXTRACTOR 

There  are  many  modern  and  up-to-date  methods 
advised  for  extracting  wax.  The  most  common  is 
through  the  use  of  the  Solar  wax-extractor,  which 
was  invented  for  extracting  honey  in  California, 
where  the  sun  can  be  depended  upon  to  do  its  work 
unflinchingly  day  after  day.  There  was  more  than 
myth  in  the  story  of  Icarus  who  fastened  his  wings 
on  with  wax,  and  then  dared  to  face  the  sun.  The 
ancients  e\adently  knew  that  no  other  substance  of 
the  sort  is  so  susceptible  to  the  sun's  rays.  I 
shall  never  forget  my  amazement  at  the  efficiency  of 
the  first  Solar  extractor  that  I  ever  saw;  it  was  home- 
made and  there  was  naught  in  its  appearance  to 
indicate  its  power.  The  comb  was  hard  and  black- 
ened and  full  of  dirt,  while  the  wax  that  oozed  out 
and  hardened  below  was  as  shining  and  yellow  as  if 
the  sun  itself  had  exhaled  it.  A  Solar  extractor 
ought  to  be  in  every  apiary  where  twenty  colonies  or 
more  are  kept,  and  into  this  every  fragment  of  comb 
should  be  put  instead  of  storing  it  to  become  in- 
fested by  the  bee  moth,  or  leaving  it  around  to 
incite  the  bees  to  robbing.  The  fragments  thus  are 
saved  and  without  any  expense  or  trouble  are  made 
into  a  beautiful  product  for  the  market. 

There  are  several  of  these  Solar  extractors  made 
and  sold  by  dealers.  The  Doolittle,  the  Rauchfuss 
and  the  Boardman  are  the  three  commonly  used. 


POINTS  ABOUT  BEESWAX  131 

The  Doolittle  is  small  and  all  right  for  a  small  apiary. 
The  Rauchfuss  has  a  clever  arrangement  by  which 
the  wax  in  flowing  out  overflows  from  one  pan  to 
another  and  thus  cleanses  itself  automatically.  The 
Boardman  is  especially  adapted  for  large  apiaries, 
and  is  on  rockers  so  that  it  may  be  tilted  to  face  the 
sun.  The  general  plan  of  the  Solar  wax-extractor 
is  as  follows :  It  consists  of  a  shallow  box  lined  with 
sheet-iron  on  which  is  a  frame  for  holding  the  comb 
with  a  strainer  below  it,  and  a  place  where  the  wax 
thus  extracted  is  received.  The  box  has  a  tight- 
fitting  glass  cover,  and  all  the  woodwork  on  the  box 
is  painted  black  so  as  to  absorb  all  the  heat  possible. 
The  box  is  tilted  so  as  to  get  the  direct  rays  of  the 
sun,  and  it  is  important  that  the  cover  be  of  one  pane 
of  glass,  or  several  panes  matched  without  cross 
sash,  as  such  sash  interferes  with  the  rays  of  the  sun. 
Here  in  the  East  this  extractor  works  excellently 
during  the  summer  months.  If  the  wax  does  not 
look  clean  as  it  comes  from  the  extractor,  it  may  be 
put  through  again.  The  only  difficulty  with  the 
Solar  extractor  is  that  here  in  the  East  it  works  only 
in  the  summer  time,  and  that  it  does  not  extract  all 
the  wax  from  the  refuse  which  bears  the  graphic  and 
euphonious  name  of  "slumgum." 

THE   SWISS   WAX-EXTRACTOR 

There  are  many  patent  wax-extractors  which  are 
run  by  the  heat  of  a  stove.  The  best  of  these  utilise 
steam  for  heating  the  wax,  though  some  of  them  use 
hot  water  in  a  sort  of  a  modification  of  the  old  wash- 


132  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

boiler  method.  The  best  of  these  machines  for  a 
small  apiary  is  the  Swiss  extractor,  which  may  be 
set  over  a  kettle  of  hot  water,  like  an  ordinary  vege- 
table steamer,  which  it  resembles.  The  comb  is 
placed  in  a  wire  basket,  which  has  a  cone-shaped 
bottom,  over  which  the  wax  flows  down  as  it  melts 
and  drains  off  through  a  spout  into  a  pan  in 
which  it  is  to  be  caked.  This  machine  costs  only 
three  or  four  dollars  and  is  simple  and  excellent; 
though  it  takes  but  comparatively  little  comb  at  a 
time,  it  keeps  up  a  continual  performance  and 
there  is  no  danger  whatever  of  burning  the  wax. 
The  basket  may  be  replenished  from  time  to  time,  and 
a  large  amount  of  wax  may  be  extracted  in  a  day 
while  other  work  is  being  performed  in  the  room. 
Mr.  Root  has  an  improved  Swiss  extractor  and  so 
has  iNIr.  D.  A.  Jones,  and  both  of  them  are  most 
satisfactory.  Mr.  Jones's  machine  is  the  larger  and 
may  be  used  as  an  uncapping  can  as  well;  the  cap- 
pings  when  taken  off  falling  directly  into  the  ex- 
tractor. 

THE   WAX-PRESS 

Wax  is  such  a  precious  product  in  these  days  of 
the  manufacture  of  foundation-comb  that  every 
particle  of  it  should  be  saved.  This  is  quite  im- 
possible with  any  of  the  extractors;  as  the  slumgum 
always  holds  much  wax,  to  extract  which  a  wax-press 
is  needed.  All  wax-presses  are  necessarily  rather 
expensive  machines  when  bought,  and  not  very 
easily  manufactured  at  home.     In  some  of  them  the 


POINTS  ABOUT  BEESWAX  133 

comb  is  melted  by  steam  and  in  some  by  hot  water; 
in  others  the  heated  wax  is  dipped  from  a  kettle  of 
hot  water  and  poured  into  the  press. 

The  German  steam  wax-press  is  in  general  use  in 
America,  Mr.  Root  having  an  improvement  on  it. 
It  is  a  strongly  built  can,  at  the  bottom  of  which  is  a 
place  for  water,  and  above  it  an  arrangement  to 
receive  the  wax  drippings.  A  basket  of  perforated 
metal  holds  the  comb  and  occupies  the  larger  and 
upper  part  of  the  can ;  a  follower  worked  by  a  screw 
presses  down  upon  the  heated  comb  and  forces  the 
wax  down  and  out  through  a  spigot.  This  machine 
weighs  sixty  pounds  and  costs  fourteen  dollars,  and 
if  the  apiary  contains  more  than  forty  hives  of 
bees,  such  a  wax-press  will  pay  for  itself  soon  with 
the  wax  which  would  otherwise  be  lost. 

We  have  seen  one  home-made  press  constructed 
from  a  half  barrel  worked  by  the  machinery  of  a 
cheese-press.  The  follower  was  cleated  on  the  under 
side,  and  the  barrel  was  filled  with  boiling  water; 
the  wax  as  it  was  pressed  out  was  run  off  by  a  spout 
at  the  top.  Another  which  was  used  successfully 
was  simply  a  box  with  cleated  bottom  and  a  cleated 
follower  into  which  the  hot  wax  was  poured  and 
pressed  out  most  successfully.  One  of  the  wax 
presses  used  by  many  is  called  the  Hatch-Gemmill 
press,  which  is  run  on  the  principle  of  dipping  the 
hot  wax  off  hot  water  and  squeezing  it  through  the 
press. 


134  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 


REFINING   WAX   WITH   SULPHURIC   ACID 

On  a  small  scale  this  may  be  done  in  an  agate 
or  porcelain-lined  kettle.  Mr,  Root  even  advises 
on  occasion  th^  use  of  a  large  iron  kettle.  The 
kettle  is  filled  half  full  of  water,  100  parts  to  one  part 
acid,  and  is  brought  nearly  to  the  boiling  point  over 
a  slow  fire;  the  wax  is  then  added  and  is  kept  hot 
for  a  little  time  after  it  is  melted,  and  then  the  fire  is 
allowed  to  die  down;  as  soon  as  it  is  cool  enough  so 
that  the  dirt  has  settled,  the  wax  is  dipped  off,  great 
care  being  taken  not  to  stir  up  the  settlings.  If  an 
iron  kettle  is  used  it  should  afterward  be  thoroughly 
washed  with  boiling  water,  and  rubbed  with  fresh 
lard  or  some  other  unsalted  grease  to  stop  the  action 
of  the  acid  upon  it.  Beeswax  may  be  bleached  by 
exposing  it  in  thin  sheets  to  the  sunlight. 

ADULTERATED   BEESWAX 

Dishonest  dealers  have  attempted  to  adulterate 
beeswax  with  several  substances;  tallow,  paraffine 
and  cerasin  being  more  commonly  used.  Tallow 
or  other  greasy  adulterants  may  be  detected  by  the 
smell ;  and  because  the  cakes  of  wax  containing  them 
feel  and  look  greasy.  But  parafiine  and  cerasin  are 
not  so  easily  detected  by  the  eye  or  feel.  The 
specific  gravity  test  is  the  one  used  by  dealers.  A 
piece  of  wax  known  to  be  pure  is  placed  in  a  jar  of 
water,  and  enough  alcohol  is  added  so  that  the  wax 
will  just  settle  to  the  bottom.  Then  a  piece  of  the 
suspected  wax  is  placed  in  the  jar,  and  if  it  contains 


POINTS  ABOUT  BEESWAX  135 

either  paraflSne  or  cerasin  it  will  still  float.  Another 
test  but  not  so  exact  is  made  by  chewing  the  wax;  if 
it  is  pure  it  will  be  brittle  and  break  as  it  is  chewed, 
but  adulterated  wax  is  cohesive  like  gum. 

MAXIMS   FOR   BEESWAX   MAKING 

The  wax-market  is  always  good,  and  the  wise  bee- 
keeper saves  every  scrap  of  this  precious  material. 

Do  not  be  mussy  when  making  beeswax,  or  it 
will  take  longer  to  clean  up  than  to  make  the  wax. 

Do  not  use  galvanised  iron  vessels  for  boiling  wax 
as  the  quality  is  thus  injured. 

Clean  wax  off  with  hot  water  or  benzine. 


CHAPTER  Xlf 
FEEDING  BEES 

WHEN   TO   FEED 

At  least  twice  during  the  season  bees  are  likely  to 
need  more  food  than  they  can  get  in  the  fields,  if 
the  bee-keeper  is  to  do  a  profitable  business.  Once 
early  in  the  spring  when  for  some  reason  the  nectar 
supply  fails,  and  it  is  desirable  to  stimulate  the  rear- 
ing of  brood;  again,  late  in  the  season  when  the  colony 
has  not  enough  honey  for  winter  use.  When  the 
cupidity  of  the  bee-keeper  leads  him  to  extract 
too  much  honey,  then  must  he  forsooth  open  his 
pocketbook  and  buy  expensive  sugar  to  feed  back 
to  those  whom  he  has  robbed.  However,  bees 
should  be  watched  closely;  they  may  need  feeding  at 
any  time,  for  it  is  hard  to  predict  when  the  honey 
or  pollen  harvest  may  fail  in  a  given  locality. 

When  food  is  given  the  bees  in  the  spring,  it  is 
largely  for  the  sake  of  stimulating  them  to  extra 
activity;  and  thus  develop  large,  strong  colonies 
ready  for  work  as  soon  as  the  harvest  occurs.  The 
brood-chambers  should  be  closely  watched  in  the 
early  spring  and  if  there  is  not  sufficient  food  for  the 
brood  present,  it  should  be  provided.  In  the  fall 
the  hive  should  be  examined  by  the  middle  of  Sep- 

136 


FEEDING  BEES  137 

tember  or  the  first  of  October.  A  colony  of  ordinary 
size  ought  to  have  at  least  thirty  pounds  of  capped 
honey.  The  ordinary  Langstroth  frame,  when 
filled  on  both  sides,  contains  about  five  pounds  cf 
honey;  therefore,  there  should  be  an  equivalent  of 
six  filled  frames  in  each  hive.  If  the  swarm  lacks  this 
amount,  an  estimate  should  be  made  of  how  much 
more  it  needs,  and  this  amount  should  be  fed. 

Bees  are  usually  fed  upon  honey  or  syrup  made 
from  the  best  granulated  sugar,  although  some 
have  claimed  that  the  best  grade  of  coffee-sugars 
make  a  good  syrup;  but  the  consensus  of  opinion  is 
in  favour  of  the  granulated.  The  syrup  is  made 
in  two  ways:  First,  by  heat.  Melt  the  granulated 
sugar  in  its  own  weight  or  measure  of  water;  it 
should  be  heated  slowly,  and  never  reach  a  tempera- 
ture higher  than  180°  F.  lest  it  burn,  for  scorched 
syrup  fed  in  winter  is  as  fatal  to  bees  as  so  much 
poison.  The  mixture  should  be  stirred  until  the 
sugar  is  entirely  dissolved,  then  allowed  to  cool 
slowly,  and  it  is  ready  for  use.  If  there  are  many 
to  feed,  a  wash-boiler  is  a  'very  convenient  utensil  to 
use,  as  it  is  easier  to  make  a  large  quantity  at  a  time. 
Because  of  the  danger  of  scorching  a  cold  process  has 
been  evolved.  It  consists  of  taking  equal  measures 
of  sugar  and  water;  the  latter  should  be  boiling  hot 
and  the  two  stirred  together  until  the  sugar  is  dis- 
solved. This  may  be  done  in  a  churn  or  in  the 
honey  extractor.  In  following  this  process  it  is 
best  to  add  the  sugar  a  bowlful  at  a  time,  while 
stirring    the    mixture    industriously.     The    syrup 


138  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

should  be  thin  when  finished,  as  it  is  better  to  let 
the  bees  attend  to  the  ripening  of  it. 

HOW   TO   FEED 

There  are  two  general  plans  for  feeding  bees.  One 
IS  to  place  the  syrup  outside  the  hive,  and  the  other 
to  place  it  within  the  hive.  The  first  is  much  more 
convenient  for  the  apiarist,  but  unless  the  work  be 
done  very  carefully  or  in  the  evening,  and  the 
syrup  well  guarded,  the  bees  may  become  demoralised 
and  begin  robbing.  Feeding  outside  the  hive  can 
be  done  only  during  warm  weather.  There  are 
several  simple  feeders  in  which  the  syrup  is  placed  at 
night,  and  taken  away  in  the  morning;  but  the  method 
most  generally  followed  is  to  fill  a  INIason  fruit  can 
with  the  syrup  and  place  on  it  a  perforated  cover, 
then  invert  it  in  a  box  in  front  of  the  hive;  the 
entrance  to  this  box  is  so  connected  with  the  entrance 
to  the  hive  that  robbing  is  impossible.  The  box 
and  cover  are  sold  under  the  name  of  the  Boardman 
feeder.  As  there  is  very  little  air  in  the  can,  the 
syrup  oozes  out  very  slowly  through  the  perforated 
cover,  and  the  bees  take  it  as  fast  as  it  comes.  This 
feeder  is  satisfactory  in  that  we  can  tell  at  a  glance 
when  it  needs  replenishing. 

However,  most  apiarists  follow  the  custom  of 
feeding  within  the  hive,  and  strive  to  accomplish 
this  without  loss  of  warmth  in  the  brood-chambers, 
and  without  disturbing  or  daubing  the  bees.  Of 
all  the  devices  for  feeding  within  the  hive,  the 
division-board  feeder  is  the  most  practical.     It  con- 


FEEDING  BEES  139 

sists  simply  of  a  division  board  made  to  hold  the 
syrup,  which  is  placed  in  the  hive  instead  of  a  frame 
Plate  XII.  There  is  a  hole  at  the  top  so  that  it  may 
be  refilled  by  simply  pushing  back  the  cover,  and 
pouring  in  the  syrup  from  a  pitcher.  The  only 
objection  to  this  feeder  is  its  size,  as  it  does  not  hold 
more  than  two  pounds  of  syrup,  and  if  used  for  fall 
feeding  would  need  to  be  filled  many  times.  This 
feeder  is  especially  useful  for  stimulating  the  bees  in 
the  spring,  and  is  also  most  practical  in  developing 
nuclei.  In  a  small  apiary  it  is  quite  practical  for  all 
purposes. 

Of  the  larger  inside  feeders  the  Smith,  the  Heddon 
and  the  Miller  are  generally  used.  These  are  alike 
in  one  respect;  they  are  flat  boxes  placed  directly 
above  the  frames  and  beneath  the  quilts.  The 
Heddon  and  the  Miller  each  take  a  certain  specified 
number  of  pounds  of  syrup,  so  that  when  we  use 
them  we  can  tell  just  how  much  we  are  feeding. 
The  Miller  is  especially  convenient  in  this  respect, 
and  has  one  advantage  over  the  others  in  that  the 
entrance  for  the  bees  is  directly  above  the  centre  of 
the  brood-chamber,  so  that  the  bees  may  enter  it 
easily  without  loss  of  heat.  This  fact  renders  it  an 
excellent  feeder  for  cold  weather.  Some  still  use 
the  pepper-box  feeder,  which  consists  of  a  tin  can 
with  perforated  cover,  inverted  above  the  frame,  but 
this  lifts  the  quilts  and  lets  in  the  cold,  and  is  awk- 
ward to  use;  and  as  it  does  not  hold  very  much  it  is 
quite  inconvenient  to  manage. 

Some  altruistic  people  take  the  frames  of  comb 


140  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

from  which  honey  has  been  extracted  and  fill  the 
cells  with  syrup.  This  is  done  by  laying  the  comb 
flat  and  letting  the  syrup  into  it  through  a  fine  sieve, 
or  by  using  a  force-pump  with  a  spray  nozzle.  After 
the  frame  is  filled  it  is  allowed  to  stand  on  edge  until 
the  drain  has  ceased  and  then  it  is  hung  in  the  hive, 
and  presto !  the  bees  never  know  that  they  have  been 
robbed. 

In  the  happy  days,  when  we  were  getting  our  first 
experience,  we  fed  some  colonies  for  the  winter  by 
introducing  chunk  honey  into  the  bottom  of  the  hive^ 
and  it  worked  like  a  charm,  except  that  we  were 
obliged  to  lift  the  hive  to  put  in  the  honey,  and  again 
to  remove  the  beautifully  cleaned  comb.  One  never 
realises  how  beautiful  empty  honey-comb  may  be 
unless  he  has  had  the  privilege  of  examining  a  freshly 
made  comb  or  one  which  the  bees  have  cleaned. 
Bee-books  advise  putting  in  the  chunk  honey  above 
the  brood-frames,  using  Hill's  device  above  it  so  it 
will  not  be  crushed  by  the  quilt.  We  have  done  this, 
setting  the  comb  in  every  direction,  and  our  bees 
ignored  it  in  a  most  provoking  way;  but  when  they 
found  it  at  the  bottom  of  the  hive,  they  carried  it  up  at 
once.  We  never  knew  why  our  bees  were  so  con- 
trary in  refusing  to  take  the  honey  from  above 
because  other  people's  bees  seem  to  like  it  ad- 
ministered in  that  way. 

HOW  AND   WHEN  TO   FEED   CANDY 

If  necessary  to  feed  the  bees  in  midwinter  many 
people  use  candy.     This  is  made  by  boiling  granu- 


FEEDING  BEES  141 

lated  sugar  in  a  double  boiler  until  it  is  brittle  when 
dropped  in  cold  water.  It  is  then  taken  off  and 
stirred  and  poured  into  flat  dishes  to  harden,  from 
which  it  can  be  taken  as  a  cake  and  placed  on  top  of 
the  frame  at  the  centre  of  the  hive.  Some  pour  the 
candy  into  the  wooden  butter-trays  and  after  it 
hardens  invert  the  tray  over  the  middle  of  the  brood- 
nest.  Some,  instead  of  caking  it  thus,  mould  it  in 
a  brood-frame  by  holding  the  frame  flat  on  a  table 
or  board  covered  with  oil  paper  and  pouring  the 
candy  in;  it  thus  hardens  fast  to  the  frame,  and  may 
be  put  directly  in  the  brood-nest.  The  famous 
Good  candy,  so  called  because  it  was  invented  by 
Mr.  Good,  although  the  excellence  of  the  product 
would  have  given  it  that  name  anyway,  is  made  by 
taking  extracted  honey,  and  heating  it  until  it  is 
quite  thin,  but  not  allowed  to  boil,  and  mixing  into  it 
confectioner's  sugar  until  the  spoon  can  no  longer 
stir  it;  then  the  mixture  is  taken  out,  and  placed  on  a 
board  and  more  sugar  kneaded  into  it  until  it  is  of 
firm  consistency.  In  hot  weather  more  sugar  is 
needed  than  in  the  winter.  In  making  this  candy 
skill  is  evinced  in  getting  it  as  soft  as  possible,  and 
yet  stiff  enough  so  that  it  will  not  flow.  Only  the 
best  honey  is  used  for  this;  and  if  the  confectioner's 
sugar  seems  impure,  then  granulated  sugar  should 
be  pounded  in  a  mortar  or  rolled  under  a  rolling-pin 
until  fine  and  used  instead.  The  confectioner's 
sugar  may  be  tested  by  putting  a  little  in  a  glass  of 
water  and  noting  if  there  is  a  sediment. 


142  HOW-TO  KEEP  BEES 


FEEDING   RYE  FLOUR 

This  is  given  as  a  substitute  for  pollen,  and  is 
often  of  great  use  in  the  spring  when  the  flowers  are 
late  in  blossoming,  or  when  severe  rains  wash  the 
pollen  from  the  fruit  bloom.  Pollen  or  its  equivalent 
is  absolutely  necessary  for  rearing  the  brood.  The 
unbolted  rye  flour,  or  even  oatmeal,  or  whole-wheat 
flour  may  be  used  by  the  bees  as  a  substitute  with 
perfect'  success.  The  meal  may  be  mixed  with  the 
candy  if  it  is  desirable;  but  the  usual  way  is  to  place 
it  in  a  trough  or  box  that  is  shallow,  press  it  down  hard 
so  that  it  will  be  not  more  than  an  inch  or  two  thick, 
to  prevent  the  bees  from  getting  suffocated  while 
working  in  it.  We  must  remember  that  the  bee  has 
two  rows  of  holes  along  each  side  of  the  body  through 
which  it  breathes,  and  thus  could  be  suffocated 
as  easily  in  soft  flour  as  in  water.  The  box  contain- 
ing the  meal  is  usually  placed  a  few  rods  distant 
from  the  apiary,  and  often  some  old  combs  with 
honey  in  them  are  placed  on  top  so  as  to  attract  the 
bees  to  the  box,  and  let  them  know  that  it  contains 
food  for  them.  Most  bee-keepers  say  that  the  box 
needs  to  be  placed  in  the  sun  or  the  bees  ignore  it. 

FEEDING  FOR  HONEY 

Some  bee-keepers  practise  feeding  all  the  colonies 
early  in  the  season  so  that  the  brood  has  plenty  of 
sugar-syrup  stored  near  it  when  the  honey  season 
opens;  and  since  the  brood-comb  is  full  the  bees 
begin  at  once  to  store  in  the  supers.     Mr.  Boardman 


FEEDING  BEES     ^.  143 


who  invented  the  best  entrance-feedei^actises  this, 
with  the  result  of  getting  more  honey  #ian  other  bee- 
keepers of  his  neighbourhood,  who  ^  do  not  feed  at 
this  time.  It  is  especially  valuable  ^p  years  when  the 
honey  is  scarce,  for  then  the  bees  store  all  the  honey 
they  gather  in  the  supers.  Howeve%''^here  is  one  thing 
to  consider  carefully  in  this  feeding,  and  that  is  the 
relative  price  of  syrup  and  honey.  If  the  market 
is  glutted  and  honey  is  plentiful  and  cheap,  this  sort 
of  feeding  would  better  be  practised  cautiously; 
but  when  honey  is  scarce  and  dear,  it  is  certainly  a 
safe  experiment. 

FEEDING  BACK 

When  the  sections  are  not  well  filled  in  the  late 
season,  it  is  the  practice  of  some  apiarists  to  feed 
extracted  honey  in  order  to  fill  them.  For  this  only 
the  best  honey  is  used;  it  is  mixed  with  water,  ten 
pounds  of  honey  to  one  of  water,  and  heated  so  that 
it  is  a  fluid  and  then  poured  in  the  larger  kind  of 
feeders,  and  is  put  in  at  night,  as  the  smell  of  the 
heated  honey  particularly  incites  bees  to  robbing. 
However,  the  flavour  of  honey  which  has  been  fed 
back  is  inferior  to  that  which  is  only  once  made,  and 
but  a  few  apiarists  practise  feeding  back  successfully. 

WATERING   BEES 

If  there  is  no  fresh  water  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  hives,  special  provision  should  be  made  to 
secure  it,  as  it  is  a  highly  desirable  adjunct  to  a  well- 
regulated  apiary.  While  there  are  times  during  the 
season  when  the  bees  get  most  of  the  moisture  they 


144  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

need  from  the  nectar,  there  are  other  times  when 
they  drink  water  eagerly.  This  is  especially  so  in 
the  spring  when  they  are  gathering  much  pollen  and 
little  water,  and  the  weather  is  warm.  Running  water 
is  more  desirable,  and  if  the  drip  from  a  faucet  flow 
over  a  board,  or  on  pebbles,  it  affords  a  nearly  ideal 
drinking  place  for  the  bees,  since  they  can  drink 
freely  and  are  in  no  danger  of  drowTiing.  Some  bee- 
keepers invert  a  Mason  jar  filled  with  water,  on  a 
board  that  has  a  few  shallow^  groves,  perhaps  one- 
eighth  inch  deep;  the  water  flows  out  slowly  owing 
to  atmospheric  pressure;  if  a  little  salt  be  added  to 
the  water  the  bees  lap  it  up  eagerly. 

MAXIMS    FOR    FEEDING 

Keep  close  watch  of  the  bees  during  the  entire 
season,  so  as  to  know  whether  they  need  feeding  or 
not. 

Feed  only  good  honey  or  the  best  sugar. 

Never  feed  scorched  sugar  in  the  winter,  as  it  will 
surely  kill  the  bees. 

Observe  the  practice  of  feeding  at  nightfall  to 
preclude  robbing. 

Never  spill  the  syrup  or  honey  around  the  yard 
lest  robbers  be  led  on  to  black  deeds. 

Feed  small  amounts  to  stimulate  a  swarm  or  nu- 
cleus.   Bees  are  susceptible  to  small  encouragements. 

Be  careful  never  to  cool  off  the  brood-chamber 
when  feeding  in  early  spring  or  late  fall. 

See  to  it  that  the  bees  have  water  near  by,  especially 
early  in  the  season. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
HOW  TO  WINTER  BEES 

IDEAL   CONDITIONS 

The  wintering  of  bees  in  the  northern  latitudes  is 
usually  attended  with  more  or  less  loss.  Although 
we  now  think  we  know  the  conditions  necessary 
for  perfect  winterings  it  is  only  now  and  then 
that  they  are  attained.  There  are  so  many 
unhappy  and  unpredictable  circumstances  and 
vicissitudes,  that  one  must  needs  be  a  true  prophet 
as  well  as  a  good  bee-keepar  to  be  sure  that  all 
his  swarms  will  successfully  pass  the  period  of  snow 
and  cold. 

The  problem  of  wintering  hinges  as  much  on 
protection  from  dampness  as  on  protection  from  the 
cold.  We  all  know  that  double  windows  in  a  room 
keep  the  frost  off  the  panes.  The  reason  for  this 
is  that  the  dampness  of  the  room  is  not  allowed  to 
come  in  contact  with  the  cold  outside  glass.  So  it  is 
with  the  bee-hive;  if  it  is  single  walled  the  dampness 
from  the  breath  of  the  bees  causes  the  frost  to  gather 
on  the  walls  of  the  hive,  which  later  melts  and  wets 
the  bees  so  that  they  chill  easily;  the  double-walled 
hive  is  a  guard  against  this  condition. 
145 


146  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 


GETTING   READY  FOR   WINTERING 

First  of  all  that  watchward  of  the  bee-keeper  must 
be  fully  realised,  ''Keep  the  colonies  strong."  Most 
men  of  experience  do  not  attempt  to  winter  a  colony 
that  is  not  large  enough  to  cover  at  least  four  of  the 
Langstroth  brood-frames.  If  a  colony  is  as  small 
as  this,  the  division  boards  should  be  used  to  contract 
the  hive  and  make  it  as  cosy  and  comfortable  as  pos- 
sible. It  is  far  safer  to  try  to  winter  a  colony  that 
covers  six  frames  than  one  that  covers  only  four; 
the  more  the  bees  the  warmer  the  hive,  the  less  the 
loss,  and  also  the  less  missed  are  those  that  die.  To 
secure  good  swarms  it  is  best  to  keep  up  the  breeding 
throughout  the  summer,  which  can  be  done  by  feed- 
ing if  the  honey  is  scarce. 

Next  in  importance  to  a  strong  colony  is  good 
honey  and  plenty  of  it  sealed  in  the  combs,  so  that 
wholesome  food  may  help  to  sustain  the  bees  during 
this  trying  period.  With  a  four-frame  colony  four 
frames  of  sealed  stores  will  be  enough.  A  Lang- 
stroth brood-frame  should  hold  about  five  pounds 
of  honey  if  it  is  well  filled.  If  the  colony  is  larger, 
then  more  honey  must,  of  course,  be  given.  We 
never  allow  any  of  our  colonies  to  begin  winter 
without  at  least  thirty  pounds  of  sealed  honey,  and 
when  a  colony  is  very  large  we  have  given  it 
thirty-five  pounds.  This  may  seem  wasteful  extrav- 
gance  on  our  part,  but  the  honey  not  used  in  the 
winter  is  of  use  in  the  spring.  It  is  necessary  that 
the  honey  be  of  good  quality;  the  bee  is  such  a  neat 


HOW  TO  WINTER  BEES  147 

housekeeper  that  she  will  suffer  death  rather  than 
let  food  pass  through  her  alimentary  canal  when  she 
is  dormant,  and  thus  render  unsanitary  the  bee-city, 
a  devotion  to  municipal  sanitation  which  is  hardly 
found  elsewhere  in  the  annals  of  living  beings.  If 
honey  of  poor  quality  is  fed  to  the  bees  and  they 
hold  within  themselves  such  food,  disaster  is  likely 
to  ensue.  In  preparing  the  hive  for  winter  what  is 
known  as  the  Hill's  device,  which  is  a  series  of  curved 
pieces  of  wood  held  in  place  by  a  strip  of  tin,  is 
placed  above  the  frames  to  support  the  cushion  so  as 
to  allow  the  bees  to  readily  climb  over  them.  We 
use  a  super  cover  in  our  chaff  hives  instead  of  the 
HilFs  device. 

There  are  three  ways  of  wintering  bees  in  common 
use.  First  in  the  chaff  or  double-walled  hives  left 
in  the  open.  Second,  in  tenement-hives.  Third, 
the  hives  are  carried  into  cellars.  The  reprehensible 
way  of  leaving  bees  out  of  doors  in  single-walled 
hives  with  no  protection  during  the  winter  is  no 
longer  practised  by  civilised  people. 

OUTDOOR  WINTERING 

Many  apiarists  protect  the  hive  by  a  box,  several 
inches  larger  than  the  hive  in  every  diameter, 
placed  over  the  hive,  the  spaces  between  being  packed 
with  chaff  or  dried  leaves.  A  passage-way  out  k 
always  preserved  so  that  the  bees  may  fly  out  during 
the  early  warm  days,  and  free  themselves  from  the 
accumulated  waste.  This  is  a  cheap  way  of  securing 
the  advantages  of  a  chaff  hive.     Such  boxes  are  sold 


148  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

by  the  dealers,  and  many  good  words  are  said  for 
this  method  of  wintering. 

THE   CHAFF   HIVE 

The  chaff  hive  is  probably  the  most  perfect  of  all 
of  the  devices  for  out-of-door  wintering  when  con- 
venience and  the  saving  of  work  as  well  as  success 
are  taken  into  consideration.  The  chaff  hive  is 
a  double-walled  hive  with  wall  spaces  packed  with 
chaff.  It  is  a  certain  guard  against  extremes  and 
sudden  changes  of  temperature,  as  it  remains  cool  in 
the  hot  and  warm  in  the  cold  weather. 

The  chaff  for  packing  should  be  fine.  That  from 
timothy  hay,  oats  or  wheat  is  commonly  used;  saw- 
dust and  planer  shavings  and  dried  leaves  closely 
packed  are  also  often  resorted  to.  The  packing 
should  be  below  as  well  as  on  the  sides  of  the  hive. 
A  cushion  made  of  burlap  and  filled  with  chaff  is 
put  above  a  Hill's  device  or  super  cover,  as  this  is 
the  most  convenient  method  of  packing  the  hive 
on  top.  The  bees  should  be  thoroughly  established 
and  have  their  stores  ready  as  early  as  October  1st. 
It  is  claimed  by  the  admirers  of  the  chaff  hive  that 
they  prevent  spring  dwindling  by  keeping  the  bees 
warm  in  the  early  spring ;  and  also  that  they  keep  the 
hive  cool  enough  so  that  the  brood  is  not  developed 
in  the  combs  until  the  proper  time  for  it. 

The  chaff  hives  are  sufficiently  warm  to  preserve 
bees  during  ordinary  winters,  but  neither  they  nor 
any  other  out-door  device  were  entirely  successful 
during  the  long,  protracted  cold  of  the  winter  of 


HOW  TO  WINTER  BEES  149 

1903-04  when  many  bee-keepers  in  the  Northern 
States  lost  40  per  cent,  of  their  bees.  It  might  be 
wise  when  such  a  winter  occurs  to  give  some  tem- 
porary protection  to  the  hives,  Hke  covering  them 
with  boughs  of  evergreen  or  building  a  close  wind- 
break. The  entrance  to  a  chaff  hive  should  always 
be  contracted  in  winter  to  keep  out  cold  and  mice. 

THE   TENEMENT  HIVE 

This  is  a  box  made  for  holding  from  two  to  ten 
hives,  and  which  we  have  used  with  perfect  success. 
Our  favourite  tenement-hive  was  arranged  for  six 
hives  in  two  stories.  The  bottom  was  packed  well 
with  dry  leaves  or  chaff,  and  three  hives  were  set 
somewhat  near  each  other.  Entrances  were  boxed 
back,  affording  a  front  hall  for  each  hive-entrance. 
After  three  hives  were  thus  set  in  and  packed  with 
chaff  on  every  side  and  between,  a  shelf  was  put  across 
and  on  this  were  set  three  more  hives  which  were 
likewise  packed.  The  entrances  to  the  upper 
row  were  on  the  same  side  as  those  to  the  lower  ix)w, 
and  the  cover  of  the  box  sloped  back  from  the  front 
of  the  hives  and  was  hinged  along  its  highest  edge; 
thus  when  we  wished  to  examine  the  hives  we  lifted 
the  cover  and  examined  the  bees  from  the  back  side 
instead  of  standing  directly  in  front  of  the  entrance. 
Our  losses  were  rare  and  small  while  using  these 
tenements.  The  advantage  of  the  tenement  over  the 
chaff  hive  is  that  it  is  cheaper,  and  that  several 
colonies  packed  together  help  to  keep  each  other 
warm. 


150  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 


WINTERING   IN   CELLARS 

The  way  we  always  wintered  bees  in  the  old  days 
was  by  placing  them  in  a  cellar  which  was  used  for 
vegetables  and  was  ill-ventilated  and  damp.  We 
well  remember  that  in  the  spring  the  cellar  windows 
were  covered  with  arrested  prisoners;  we  do  not 
recollect  that  we  lost  many  colonies,  but  if  we  did  not, 
it  was  owing  to  the  ways  of  inscrutable  Providence 
rather  than  our  own  understanding  of  the  needs  of 
the  bees.  Probably  most  of  the  bees  in  the  Northern 
climates  are  wintered  in  cellars ;  and  because  they  are 
wintered  in  all  sorts  of  cellars  with  varying  degrees 
of  dampness  the  mortality  among  them  is  likely  to  be 
great.  A  cellar  fit  for  wintering  bees  should  be 
cemented  on  the  floor  and  sides,  made  mouse  and  rat 
tight,  and  should  be  well  drained,  well  ventilated  and 
so  arranged  that  the  temperature  may  be  kept  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  45°  F.  In  such  a  cellar  the 
hives  lifted  off  the  bottom  boards  should  be  placed 
four  or  five  inches  apart  on  two  scantlings  laid  on 
the  floor.  In  the  next  tier  the  middle  of  a  hive 
should  bridge  the  opening  between  the  lower  hives 
on  which  it  rests.  This  arrangement  gives  plenty 
of  ventilation  to  the  hive  from  below,  and  it  is  very 
important  that  the  air  be  introduced  below  rather 
than  above.  The  cellar  should  be  kept  dark,  and  if 
the  weather  is  warm  and  the  bees  seem  uneasy  it 
should  be  ventilated  at  night  by  opening  the  windows, 
which,  by  the  way,  should  have  wire  screens  to  keep 
out  intruders.     Some  leave  the  bottom  boards  out 


HOW  TO  WINTER  BEES  151 

on  the  summer  stands,  each  board  bearing  the  same 
number  as  the  hive  which  rests  upon  it,  and  thus  in 
the  spring  it  is  easy  to  find  the  home  of  each  colony; 
but  if  the  bees  are  brought  into  the  cellar  without  the 
bottom  boards  on  the  hive  they  are  quite  likely  to 
fly  out  more  or  less.  Usually,  therefore,  they  are 
brought  in  on  the  bottom  boards,  and  these  are  piled 
in  some  convenient  place  until  needed  in  the  spring. 
In  this  case  it  is  advisable  to  have  a  map  made  of  the 
apiary,  and  the  hives  and  their  places  numbered  on 
the  map,  and  thus  each  hive  may  be  returned  to  its 
old  stand  in  the  spring. 

If  bees  are  wintered  in  the  ordinary  house-cellar  it 
is  far  better  to  partition  off  the  part  used  for  the  bees 
from  that  used  for  vegetables,  and  much  pains  should 
be  taken  to  keep  the  air  good  and  the  cellar  well 
ventilated. 

Special  bee-cellars  are  in  vogue  in  some  large 
apiaries.  The  cellar  is  sometimes  made  beneath  the 
bee-house,  and  sometimes  it  is  a  structure  by  itself. 
Of  all  such  cellars,  the  Bingham  seems  to  us  the 
cheapest,  and  surely  quite  as  practical  as  the  others. 
It  is  built  like  a  square  cistern,  twelve  feet  square  at 
the  bottom,  sixteen  feet  at  the  top  and  six  feet  deep ; 
it  is  cemented  at  the  bottom  and  on  the  sides,  and 
the  ceiling  is  flush  with  the  level  of  the  ground. 
Over  this  is  built  a  gable  roof,  the  eaves  extending 
down  to  a  drain  on  either  side  so  that  all  the  water 
is  carried  off.  The  ventilation  is  secured  through 
a  pipe  extending  from  the  cellar  ceiling  to  the  top  of 
the  roof.     The  floor  over  the  cellar  is  tight  and 


152  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

covered  with  sawdust;  access  to  the  cellar  stairs  is 
gained  through  a  trap  door.  Such  a  cellar  as  this 
should  be  built  on  a  dry  knoll.  Mr.  Bingham  has 
wintered  successfully  ninety  colonies  in  this  house; 
and  it  will  hold  nearly  twice  as  many. 

The  bees  may  come  out  of  the  hives  and  die  in 
great  numbers  when  they  are  wintered  in  a  cellar. 
If  any  such  seem  distended  and  swollen  they  have 
probably  died  of  dysentery,  and  the  matter  should 
be  looked  into  immediately.  However,  many  of  the 
bees  that  die  in  winter  are  likely  to  be  the  old  ones 
which  are  not  vigorous  enough  to  stand  the  strain  of 
the  cold.  The  cellar  floor  should  be  swept  several 
times  during  the  winter  and  all  the  dead  bees  re- 
moved so  they  shall  not  pollute  the  atmosphere. 
The  cellar  should  always  be  dark,  but  the  bees  can 
be  easily  examined  with  a  lamp,  or  what  is  better,  a 
bull's-eye  lantern. 

The  carrying  of  hives  into  the  cellar  is  an  onerous 
task  when  the  apiary  is  large.  The  entrance  to  the 
hive  should  be  closed  the  night  before  so  as  to  be 
sure  the  whole  family  is  moved.  The  hives  should 
be  carried  with  as  little  perturbance  to  the  occupants 
as  may  be;  several  methods  of  carrying  the  hives 
easily  and  quietly  have  been  invented.  Mr.  Root 
uses  a  wire  bent  like  a  V  with  the  wooden  piece  of  a 
common  pail  bale  at  the  angle.  The  prongs  of  the 
V  are  bent  at  right  angles  into  hooks  which  hook 
under  the  bottom  board;  two  men  carry  the  hive,  one 
on  each  side,  each  with  a  carrier  just  described. 
Mr,  INIiller  has  a  simple  rope  carrier  that  slips  under 


HOW  TO  WINTER  BEES  153 

the  cleated  ends  of  the  hive.  Mr.  Boardman  has  a 
delightful  device,  which  is  a  carrier  in  the  shape  cf  a 
push-cart  with  two  wheels.  A  board  just  large  enough 
to  set  the  hive  upon  with  rope  handles  at  either  side 
serves  admirably. 

WHEN   TO   PUT   BEES   IN   THE   CELLAR 

This  should  be  done  as  soon  as  steady  cold  weather 
comes  on.  In  this  northern  climate  the  colonies 
should  be  ready  in  October,  for  the  appointed  time 
for  putting  them  in  the  cellar  is  likely  to  occur 
between  the  first  and  fifteenth  of  November.  If  put 
in  too  soon  and  the  weather  is  warm  they  become 
uneasy;  they  should  be  put  in  during  a  dry  day  so 
that  the  hives  will  not  be  dampened  by  rain  or  fog. 

T\^EN  TO  TAKE  BEES  OUT  OF  THE  CELLAR 

This  is  decided  somewhat  by  the  bees  themselves; 
if  they  awaken  and  push  out  and  try  to  escape  in 
great  numbers,  it  is  a  sign  that  they  had  best  be  put 
out  as  soon  as  it  can  be  safely  done.  Mr.  Root  makes 
the  practice  of  putting  his  bees  out  of  the  cellar  in  the 
middle  of  a  warm  day  in  midwinter,  so  that  they 
may  have  a  cleansing  flight,  and  then  puts  them 
back  in  the  cellar  that  night;  which  shows  that  a 
merciful  man  is  good  to  his  bees.  However,  some 
other  bee-keepers  think  that  this  taking  them  out  in 
midwinter  is  fraught  with  danger. 

In  a  climate  like  that  of  New  York  it  is  hardly  safe 
to  take  the  hives  from  the  cellar  before  the  last 
of  April  or  the  first  of  May.     The  general  rule  is  to 


154  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

wait  until  there  is  a  prevalent  temperature  of  70°,  and 
the  willow,  the  alder,  and  the  soft  maples  are  in 
blossom,  so  that  the  bees  may  gather  pollen  as  soon 
as  they  are  put  out.  The  glowing  banners  of  the  red 
maple  blossoms  give  signal  to  most  of  the  bee- 
keepers in  the  northern  climate  that  it  is  time  that 
the  bees  were  on  the  wing. 

sprii;g  dwindling 

The  cause  of  this  is  attributed  to  various  conditions 
by  various  bee-keepers.  The  evidence  of  it  is  shown 
by  the  listlessness  of  the  swarm,  and  by  the  dying  of 
the  bees.  Whatever  the  reason,  all  apiarists  agree 
it  is  more  common  during  cold,  backward  springs, 
and  that  it  is  less  prevalent  when  the  bees  are  put  out 
in  warm,  sunny  locations.  The  only  remedies  sug- 
gested are  that  the  brood-chambers  be  contracted  so 
that  the  bees  can  easily  keep  the  comb  warm,  and 
that  plenty  of  good  syrup  and  rye  flour  and  water 
be  given  to  the  bees  if  they  are  unable  to  get  food 
from  the  flowers.  INIany  apiarists  have  tried  the 
joining  of  two  colonies  when  this  dwindling  appears, 
hoping  thus  to  get  enough  bees  in  a  hive  to  keep  it 
warm,  but  they  all  agree  that  this  does  not  help  the 
matter. 

MAXIMS    FOR    WINTERING 

Keep  the  colonies  strong.  Be  sure  that  a  good- 
sized  swarm  has  at  least  thirty  pounds  of  sealed 
stores. 

Pollen  should  not  be  left  in  the  comb  for  winter  use. 


Phntosrraph  hy  M.  V.  S'-nsrer/nnd 

PLATE    XXII.     WIXr.lR    QUARTERS    IN    CHAFF    HIVES 


Photograph  by  Verne  Morton 
PLATE   XXIII.      PLUM    BLOSSOMS 
The  fruit-bloom  is  a  great  aid  to  the  bees  while  rearing  their  brood. 


HOW  TO  WINTER  BEES  155 

Be  sure  that  the  honey  is  of  good  quahty,  and  not 
made  from  decayed  fruit  or  honey-dew. 

Give  the  hive  ventilation  from  below. 

If  wintered  out  of  doors,  give  the  bees  a  chance 
to  fly.  ^ 

If  wintered  in  cellars,  do  not  put  too  many  bees 
in  a  cellar.  If  you  have  space  for  fifty  colonies,  do  not 
try  to  winter  more  than  thirty  in  it. 

In  cellars  take  off  the  bottom  boards  and  arrange 
the  hives  so  that  the  bees  will  get  plenty  of  ventilation 
from  below. 

Have  a  thermometer  in  the  cellar  and  keep  watch 
of  it.  This 'should  not  show  more  than  ten  degrees 
of  variation.  If  the  temperature  rises  to  55°,  open 
the  windows  at  night. 

Keep  the  cellar  dark  and  the  air  sweet. 

Sweep  the  dead  bees  off  the  cellar  floor  several 
times  during  the  winter. 

Contract  the  brood-chamber  in  the  fall,  and  again, 
if  necessary,  when  the  hives  are  set  out  in  the 
spring,  until  there  is  only  comb  enough  so  that  the 
bees  can  cover  it  well. 

See  that  the  bees  have  plenty  of  food  and  good 
water  near  by  when  set  out  in  the  spring. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

REARING  AND  INTRODUCING   QUEENS 

QUEEN-REARING 

In  a  small  apiary  there  is  little  need  for  the  special 
rearing  of  queens ;  the  natural  increase  may  safely  be 
depended  upon  to  supply  all  the  colonies  which  lose 
their  queens  or  which  have  unprofitable  ones.  It  is 
always  well  for  even  the  most  casual  bee-keeper  to 
take  the  trouble  to  re-queen  from  his  strongest  and 
best  colonies.  However,  the  time  when  queen  cells 
are  naturally  built  may  not  be  the  most  convenient 
or  the  most  desirable  time  for  giving  certain  colonies 
a  new  mother.  This  being  the  case,  queens  may  be 
developed  through  the  power  of  suggestion,  as 
follows:  Select  a  frame  of  brood  from  the  best 
colony;  with  a  toothpick  tear  down  the  partitions 
between  three  worker  cells  which  contain  eggs  or 
larvse  less  than  two  days  old  and  destroy  two  of  the 
eggs  or  larvse;  repeat  the  operation  in  several  places. 
Place  the  frame  back  in  the  hive,  being  very  sure 
that  there  is  sufficient  space  between  it  and  its 
neighbouring  frame,  so  that  good  queen  cells  may 
be  built.  If  there  is  a  scarcity  of  honey,  feed  the 
bees.  The  cleverness  of  bees  is  clearly  proven  by 
the  readiness  with  which  they  take  a  hint,  and  they 
156 


QUEENS  157 

almost  invariably  build  queen  cells  upon  the  comb 
thus  treated. 

This  method  we  have  found  perfectly  satisfactory, 
but  for  those  who  rear  queens  for  sale,  other  very 
interesting  practices  have  been  invented.  The 
greatest  of  these  was  devised  by  Mr.  Doolittle,  one 
of  the  foremost  queen-breeders  in  America.  He  makes 
artificial  queen  cells  by  dipping  a  small,  smoothly 
rounded  stick  in  warm  wax  repeatedly,  thus  making 
a  little  cup,  thin  at  the  edge  and  thick  at  the  bottom. 
Rows  of  these  little  cups  are  placed  on  a  bar  the  thick- 
ness of  a  brood-frame  and  fastened  there  with  hot 
wax.  In  each  cup  is  introduced  a  bit  of  royal  jelly 
and  a  very  young  larva.  The  bar  is  then  inserted 
horizontally  into  a  frame  of  brood-comb,  part  of 
the  latter  being  cut  away  to  give  room  for  the  future 
cells,  which  project  down  from  the  bar.  In  such 
a  royal  nursery,  he  develops  his  queens  for  the  mar- 
ket. 

INTRODUCING   QUEENS 

Though  royalty  in  the  hive  is  of  quite  another 
feather  than  in  human  society,  yet  there  is  quite  as 
much  ado  when  it  comes  to  installations  in  one  as 
in  the  other.  While  a  bee-colony  is  absolutely 
devoted  to  its  own  queen,  it  may  seriously  object 
to  a  queen  thrust  upon  it  by  some  outside  power. 
And  thus  it  happens  that  the  introduction  of  a  new 
queen  into  a  hive  is  fraught  with  danger  to  her 
majesty  as  well  as  to  the  pocket-book  of  the  bee- 
keeper. 


158  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 


BALLING   THE   QUEEN 

"Balling"  in  the  hive  is  an  indignity  that  may  well 
have  suggested  to  other  societies  the  method  of 
black-balling  unwelcome  seeket-s  after  honours.  The 
bees  ball  an  unwelcome  queen  by  gathering  around 
her  in  a  compact  mass,  remaining  there  until  the 
unfortunate  usurper  is  smothered  or  starved,  or  both. 
As  if  to  live  up  to  their  mathematical  reputation, 
this  ball  is  quite  spherical  because  each  bee  is  an 
animated  atom  of  centripetal  force  scrambling  and 
pushing  toward  the  centre.  This  method  of  smoth- 
ering royalty  is  regarded  as  an  evidence  of  the 
worker's  reluctance  to  sting  a  fertile  queen.  But 
observations  are  recorded  which  state  that  the  bees 
on  the  outside  of  the  ball  seem  fiercely  trying  to 
sting,  and  that  the  individuals  nearest  the  queen 
ofttimes  share  her  fate  because  of  this  venomous 
attitude  of  their  sisters.  WTiether  this  use  of  the 
sting  by  the  outsiders  is  for  the  purpose  of  fighting 
their  way  tow^ard  the  centre,  or  whether  they  are 
mad  with  a  desire  to  kill  the  queen,  is  by  no  means 
a  settled  question.  However,  if  they  were  bent  upon 
stinging  her  to  death,  she  would  scarcely  be  alive 
after  having  been  balled  for  some  time;  while  it  is  a 
matter  of  common  experience  that  by  breaking  up 
the  ball  and  driving  off  the  murderers,  the  queen 
may  be  saved.  Sometimes  the  bees  will  ball  a 
queen  for  a  time,  then  voluntarily  release  her  and 
accept  her. 

There  are  two  ways  generally  followed  for  dis- 


QUEENS  159 

solving  this  lump  of  excited  regicides  and  saving 
the  queen.  One  is  to  drop  the  ball  in  a  shallow 
bowl  of  water.  This  baptism  seems  to  cool  the  hot 
blood  and  the  bees  swim  off,  trying  to  preserve  their 
own  lives.  The  other  is  to  smoke  the  ball  until  it 
dissolves  into  individual  bees,  so  anxious  to  get  breath 
for  themselves  that  they  forget  to  shut  off  the  breath 
of  the  obnoxious  queen.  There  is  a  danger  attend- 
ing the  latter  method,  for  unless  the  smoking  be 
done  carefully  and  without  blowing  hot  air  on  the 
bees,  they  will  become  infuriated  by  the  heat  and 
surely  sting  the  queen;  as  they  evidently  regard  her, 
and  rightly,  as  the  cause  of  their  suft'ering. 

WHEN  TO   INTRODUCE   A   QUEEN 

The  colony  should  have  been  queenless  long 
enough  to  realise  the  danger  of  the  situation,  but 
not  long  enough  to  have  done  much  toward  build- 
ing queen  cells  and  developing  larval  queens;  in 
the  latter  case  they  prefer  a  queen  of  their  own 
dynasty  and  object  to  any  other.  Thus,  if  a 
queen  is  to  be  superseded  she  should  be  removed 
and,  about  two  days  later,  the  new  one  should 
be  introduced. 

It  requires  experience  to  know  certainly  that  a 
colony  has  become  queenless,  for  often,  when  there 
is  no  brood  or  eggs  in  the  cells  there  is  a  virgin  queen, 
which  eludes  the  eye,  as  she  does  not  appear  very 
differently  from  the  workers;  a  colony  with  virgin 
queens  of  its  own  cannot  be  induced  to  accept  an 
introduced  queen. 


IGO  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

Mr.  Root  tests  a  colony  which  he  suspects  is 
queenless  in  the  following  clever  way:  He  takes  a 
cage  containing  a  laying  queen  and  holds  it  over  the 
frames  so  that  it  touches  them  and  the  bees  may  thus 
get  the  scent.  If  the  bees  have  no  queen  they  express 
their  pleasure  at  this  godsend  in  a  very  pretty 
manner  by  a  joyful  fluttering  of  the  wings,  which 
conveys  the  idea  of  happiness  to  even  our  dull 
senses.  To  such  a  colony,  the  queen  may  be  given 
with  no  formalities. 

HOW   TO    INTRODUCE   A   QUEEN 

The  colony  should  be  made  good-natured  by 
having  plenty  of  food.  If  there  is  scarcity  of  honey, 
the  bees  should  be  fed  for  a  day  or  so,  great  care 
being  taken  not  to  start  other  colonies  to  robbing 
by  exposing  the  syrup.  The  queen  is  then  intro- 
duced in  a  queen-cage,  which  should  be  placed  be- 
tween the  brood-combs.  This  should  be  done  as 
carefully  as  possible  without  disturbing  the  bees. 
At  the  end  of  forty-eight  hours  an  examination  should 
be  made,  and  if  the  bees  are  balling  the  cage,  she 
should  be  left  twenty-four  hours  longer.  When  the 
bees  gather  around  the  cage  in  normal  numbers  she 
may  be  entrusted  to  them  without  fear. 

QUEEN-CAGES 

First  of  these  are  the  shipping-cages,  and  it  is  a 
thrilling  moment  when  one  takes  a  package  from 
the  mail,  labelled  "Queen  Bee,  Deliver  Quick." 
And  it  is  still  more  exciting  when  the  cover  slides 


QUEENS  161 

around,  revealing  her  gracious  majesty  with  a  few 
attendants,  safe  beneath  the  wire  screen;  for  no  bee- 
dealer  would  be  so  heartless  or  foolish  as  to  send  a 
queen  on  a  journey  without  a  few  ladies-in-waiting 
to  give  her  companionship  and  care. 

The  cage  in  which  a  queen  is  shipped  is  always 
tagged  or  labelled  with  directions  for  introducing 
the  queen,  which,  if  followed  implicitly,  almost 
always  insures  success. 

The  plan  of  a  queen-cage  is  a  cell  made  of  wire 
screen  with  twelve  to  fifteen  meshes  to  the  square 
inch,  large  enough  to  allow  the  bees  to  thrust  in 
their  antennae  and  thus  get  acquainted  with  their 
proposed  sovereign,  but  not  large  enough  to  permit 
a  sting  to  be  effectively  thrust  through.  The  cell, 
itself,  is  large  enough  so  that  the  prisoner  will  not 
suffocate  if  the  cage  is  balled.  At  one  end  of  the 
cage  is  an  opening  into  which  is  pressed  a  cork  of 
candy,  over  which  is  tacked  a  piece  of  pasteboard, 
through  which  is  a  central  line  of  perforations.  At 
first  the  bees  are  wild  to  get  at  the  queen,  and  in- 
cidentally in  their  attack  they  get  a  taste  of  the 
candy  through  the  holes  in  the  pasteboard.  This 
distracts  their  attention,  and  they  work  indus- 
triously at  biting  away  the  pasteboard  to  get  at  the 
candy.  And  by  the  time  they  have  worked  their 
way  through  the  delectable  door,  their  attitude  to- 
wards the  prisoner  is  naturally  sweetened,  and 
usually  they  accept  her  at  once.  The  ''  Good  candy" 
is  used  for  this  purpose,  for  the  queen  is  also  sus- 
tained on  this  confection  during  her  incarceration, 


162  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

and  unless  a  moist  candy  is  used,  she  will  suffer  for 
lack  of  water. 

Home-made  cages  are  usually  employed  in  intro- 
ducing queens  from  the  home  apiary.  These  are  of 
various  forms  and  devices,  the  INIiller  being  a  favour- 
ite. His  materials  are  as  follows:  One  block  of 
wood  3  X  IJ  X  I  in.;  two  blocks  of  wood  1  x  7-16  x  | 
in.;  two  pieces  of  tin  1  in.  square;  two  pieces  of  fine 
wire  9  in.  long;  one  piece  of  wire-cloth  4 J  x  3 J  in.; 
four  wire  nails  h  in.  long.     (Plate  V.) 

The  illustration  shows  how  the  material  is  used. 
The  space  between  the  two  small  blocks  of  wood, 
held  in  place  by  the  pieces  of  tin  forms  a  door  for 
the  candy.  The  large  piece  of  wood  serves  as  a  plug 
at  the  other  end  of  the  cage,  which  may  be  removed, 
and  the  cage  set  down  over  the  queen,  thus  capturing 
her  without  handling  her.  When  a  queen  is  placed 
in  a  cage  she  should  always  be  allowed  to  chmb  up 
into  it.     It  is  not  natural  for  her  to  climb  down. 

THE   NUCLEUS   METHOD 

This  method  of  introducing  very  valuable  queens 
is  said  by  experts  to  be  absolutely  safe.  It  is  accom- 
plished by  making  a  nucleus  of  two  or  three  frames 
cf  brood,  which  is  sealed  and  some  of  it  just  breaking 
through  the  cell  caps.  Not  an  adult  bee  is  permitted 
to  remain,  and  there  should  be  as  few  uncapped 
larvae  as  possible,  since  such  will  starve.  The 
queen  is  placed  on  these  combs  and  the  young  bees, 
as  they  issue  innocent  of  men's  scheming,  accept 
her  as  their  legitimate  mother,  and  a  colony  is  sooo 


QUEENS  163 

built  up.  A  nucleus  hive  of  this  sort  must  be  placed 
in  a  warm  room,  unless  it  is  hot  weather,  as  there  are 
no  bees  to  warm  the  brood.  Care  must  also  be 
taken  to  put  a  wire  screen  over  the  entrance  of  the 
hive  for  a  day  or  two  to  prevent  the  queen  from 
escaping  if  she  becomes  uneasy  midst  such  a  dreary 
waste  of  adolescence. 

MAXIMS   FOR   INTRODUCING   QUEENS 

Be  sure  the  colony  is  queenless  before  attempting 
to  introduce  a  queen. 

Be  sure  the  bees  have  not  progressed  far  in  rearing 
young  queens. 

Be  careful  not  to  anger  or  disturb  the  bees  by 
smoke  or  hot  blast  or  otherwise  when  placing  the 
queen  in  the  hive. 

If  honey  is  scarce,  feed  the  colony  before  trying 
to  introduce  the  queen. 

Place  the  cage  containing  the  queen  on  the  frames 
near  the  centre  of  the  brood-chamber,  wire  cloth 
below  her,  so  that  the  cage  rests  on  the  bars  of  the 
frames. 

Do  not  disturb  the  colony  for  forty-eight  hours 
after  introducing  the  queen-cage. 

Be  careful  not  to  allow  the  queen  to  escape  by 
flight  when  liberating  her. 

Remember,  a  queen  crawls  up  instead  of  down. 

After  queens  are  two  or  three  years  old  they 
should  be  replaced  by  young  queens. 


CHAPTER  XV 
ROBBING    IN   THE   APIARY 

A   CAUSE   OF   DEMORALISATION 

The  moral  law  seems  to  be  as  potent  among  the 
bees  as  among  men,  and  if  the  law  be  broken  there 
is  a  moral  penalty  attached.  Nothing  demon- 
strates this  more  fully  than  robbing  in  the  apiaries, 
for  as  soon  as  it  begins  utter  demoralisation  ensues. 
All  legitimate  work  is  stopped,  and  all  the  energies 
of  the  bees  are  devoted  to  ill-gotten  gain  and  in 
fighting  with  each  other,  or  attacking  anything  or 
anybody  that  comes  near  them.  One  of  the  signs 
of  this  demoralisation  is  that  robbing  makes  the  bees 
very  cross.  The  experienced  bee-keeper  can  detect 
robbing  by  the  angry  humming  which  prevades  the 
apiary,  which  is  a  sound  as  different  from  the 
ordinary  contented  hum  of  the  working  bee  as  mar- 
tial music  is  from  a  pastoral  symphony. 

WHY   BEES   ROB 

Bees  rob  for  the  very  human  and  natural  reason 
that  the  stores  gathered  by  the  hard  work  of  others 
are  coveted  and  are  more  easily  stolen  than  earned  by 
labour.  When  dealing  with  bees  we  must  always 
remember  that  the  interest  of  the  individual  centres 
164 


ROBBING  IN  THE  APIARY         165 

in  its  own  colony,  and  that  it  has  neither  love  nor 
devotion  to  any  other  colony,  nor  to  bees  in  general; 
indeed,  quite  otherwise.  Endowed  with  an  instinct 
almost  fiendish,  bees  seem  to  understand  when 
another  colony  is  weak  or  discouraged,  and,  there- 
fore, offers  a  legitimate  field  for  plunder.  Strong 
colonies  are  seldom  robbed,  as  they  are  able  to  drive 
out  and  kill  the  thieves;  but  the  weak  colony  is  a 
constant  temptation  to  ill  doing,  and  should  be 
carefully  watched  and  guarded. 

WHEN  BEES   ROB 

This  occurs  usually  when  there  is  little  honey  to 
be  found  in  the  field.  Satan  provides  mischief  for 
the  idle  six  feet  and  four  wings  quite  as  efficiently 
as  for  hands.  At  the  end  of  the  honey-harvest  there 
may  be  a  general  temptation  throughout  the  apiary 
to  break  open  vaults  of  precious  stores  belonging  to 
others,  and  escape  with  the  contents.  At  the  close 
of  the  honey  season  strong  colonies  usually  have 
plenty  of  sentinels  to  guard  the  entrance  and  look 
after  suspicious  strangers.  Never  at  any  time  should 
honey-comb  be  left  open  around  the  apiary,  for 
it  always  leads  to  robbing.  It  seems  to  suggest 
to  the  bees  that  honey  gathered  is  a  much  more 
desirable  product  than  that  worked  for  in  the  fields. 

Sometimes  when  preserving  or  pickling  is  going  on 
in  the  house  the  bees  start  to  rob  the  kitchen;  and 
while  they  may  be  deterred  by  screened  windows, 
yet  the  smell  of  the  sweets  may  so  excite  them  to 
desires  for  forbidden  wealth  that  they  seem  to  become 


166  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

discontented  with  the  grind  of  daily  toil,  and  so 
begin  robbing  their  neighbours. 

HOW  THE   ROBBING   IS  DONE 

The  robber,  unless  she  be  hardened  by  success, 
alights  on  the  threshold  of  the  hive  which  contains 
coveted  stores  with  an  air  that  is  decidedly  apolo- 
getic, having  the  general  appearance  of  a  prospecting 
dog  with  his  tail  apprehensively  between  his  legs. 
She  shows  her  guilty  conscience  by  dodging  back  if 
she  meets  one  of  the  legitimate  owners  coming  out 
of  the  hive;  she  is  thus  trying  the  skill  and  prowess  of 
the  sentinels,  for  if  by  assuming  bravado  she  can  pass 
the  sentinels  she  is  usually  safe ;  then  she  has  nothing 
to  do  but  to  fill  with  honey  and  to  run  the  gauntlet 
of  the  sentinels  again,  for  perchance  some  of  them 
may  stop  her  and  ask  her  why  she  is  going  out  of  the 
hive  filled  with  honey,  a  proceeding  altogether 
reprehensible  in  the  bee  world.  If  she  succeeds  in 
carrying  back  to  her  own  hive  the  honey  thus 
stolen,  she  creates  great  excitement  there  and  soon 
she  leads  back  a  mob  to  pillage;  and  the  air  is  full 
of  bees  bent  on  wickedness.  Mr.  Root  describes 
graphically  the  successful  robber  thus:  *'A  bee 
that  has  stolen  a  load  is  generally  very  plump  and 
full,  and  as  it  comes  out  has  a  hurried  and  guilty 
look;  besides  it  is  almost  always  wiping  its  mouth 
like  a  man  who  has  just  come  out  of  a  beer  shop. 
Most  of  all  it  finds  it  a  little  difficult  to  take  wing  as 
bees  ordinarily  do  because  of  its  weight."  As  a 
consequence  a  robber  bee  borne  down  w^ith  its  load 


ROBBING  IN  THE  APIARY  167 

of  sweetness  is  likely  to  crawl  up  the  hive  a  little  way 
so  as  to  have  the  advantage  of  a  high  place  to  "jump 
from'^  as  it  takes  wing.  The  virtuous  worker  comes 
out  of  the  hive  slim  and  depleted  of  her  load  and 
flies  off  leisurely  to  the  field,  while  the  robber  comes 
out  stuffed  full  and  furtively  climbs  up  the  side  of  the 
hive  in  order  to  be  able  to  be  off. 

We  usually  detect  robbing  in  our  apiary  by  the 
fighting  which  we  observe  about  the  entrance;  when 
we  see  a  pair  of  workers  rolling  over  and  over  with 
each  other  in  the  grass  near  the  hive  we  know  that 
one  of  them  is  a  robber,  but  as  we  do  not  know 
which  one  we  are  obliged  to  apply  the  test  meted  to 
the  knights  of  old,  and  believe  that  the  one  who 
survives  is  in  the  right.  However,  we  take  measures 
at  once  to  defend  this  hive.  Also  if  we  discover  the 
bees  to  be  particularly  cross  some  day,  we  look  about 
to  see  what  has  aroused  their  ire,  and  nine  times  out 
of  ten  find  that  robbing  is  the  cause  of  their  ill 
temper. 

HOW  TO   STOP   ROBBING 

Contract  the  entrance  to  the  hive  being  robbed. 
To  do  this  we  place  blocks  in  front  of  it,  leaving  only 
enough  space  so  that  one  or  two  bees  can  pass  in  at 
a  time.  The  robbers  having  to  enter  in  single  file 
attract  the  attention  of  the  suspicious  sentinels  and 
are  either  driven  back  or  killed  at  once.  It  is  unsafe 
to  close  the  entrance  entirely,  unless  it  is  done  with  a 
wire  screen,  for  the  bees  within  will  smother  unless 
the  air  is  admitted   through  the  entrance.     It  is 


168  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

always  well  to  keep  the  entrance  of  the  hive  which 
contains  a  weak  colony  or  a  nucleus  somewhat  con- 
tracted as  a  measure  of  insurance.  If  contracting 
the  entrance  does  not  stop  robbing,  Mr.  Root  advises 
strewing  long  grass  about  the  entrance  which  he  wets 
thoroughly.  The  robbers  are  too  wary  to  try  to  rob 
after  they  have  wet  their  "feathers"  in  passing 
through  this  grass;  for  thus  handicapped  they  could 
hardly  escape  from  their  enraged  victims;  while  the 
robbers  already  within  the  hive  after  having  thus  to 
crawl  out  will  hasten  home  to  get  their  clothes  dry. 
Mr.  Doolittle  uses  a  common  sheet  which  he  places 
over  the  hive  that  is  being  robbed,  while  Mr.  Miller 
places  over  the  victimised  hive  a  bee  tent  of  mosquito 
netting,  which  has  a  hole  in  the  top  which  permits 
the  robbers  to  escape. 

A  bee  tent  is  a  most  useful  adjunct  to  the  apiary; 
there  are  many  times  when  it  may  be  used,  but  it 
is  especially  useful  in  preventing  robbing.  It  is 
simply  a  tent  made  of  mosquito  netting  large  enough 
to  be  set  over  the  hive  and  the  operator.  When 
opening  the  hives  at  midday  the  tent  is  used  to  pre- 
vent the  robbers  from  attacking  the  exposed  stores. 

Mr.  Root  advises  working  at  nightfall  when  bees 
are  cross  or  given  to  robbing;  but  most  bee-keepers 
declare  that  the  bees  will  crawl  all  over  one  at  night, 
and  are  no  more  to  be  gotten  rid  of  than  a  porous 
plaster,  at  which  Mr.  Root  promptly  responds, 
''Do  not  stand  near  the  lamp.'* 

Enterprising  men  exchange  places  of  the  robbers 
and  victims,  which  produces  a  confusion  that  restores 


ROBBING  IN  THE  APIARY         169 

quiet.  The  robbers  come  back  to  the  weak  colony 
laden  with  its  own  stores  and  join  it  and  help  fight 
off  intruders;  while  a  strong  colony  of  robbers  is 
quite  capable  of  defending  itself. 

Another  clever  trick  practised  in  Europe  is  to  place 
some  disagreeable,  strong-smelling  substance  on  the 
bottom  board  of  the  hive  that  is  being  robbed; 
wormwood,  musk,  carbolised  paper,  are  used  for 
this.  The  odour  disconcerts  the  robber  unless  she 
is  lost  to  all  sense  of  bee  decency;  and  if  she  does  steal 
honey  from  such  a  hive  and  returns  home  her  doom 
is  sealed;  for  although  in  the  bee  world  the  way  of 
the  transgressor  is  not  always  hard,  the  way  of  the 
citizen  that  smells  differently  from  her  sisters  leads 
to  her  murder  and  sudden  death. 

If  a  robber  colony  has  almost  completed  its 
nefarious  work,  some  people  believe  that  it  is  best  to 
let  it  make  a  clean  job,  and  thus  become  satisfied 
there  is  no  more  plunder  to  be  had,  else  the  robbers 
will  hunt  other  hives  for  depredation.  The  bee 
memory  seems  to  be  very  good,  and  if  the  robbers 
have  not  cleaned  up  all  the  honey  which  they 
remember  is  there,  they  hunt  for  it  elsewhere.  We 
could  never  bring  ourselves  to  a  frame  of  mind  to 
pen^Jt  this  calmly,  though  it  seems  like  sensible 
advice.  Robbing  makes  us  so  indignant  that  we 
refuse  to  allow  the  spoils  to  the  victor. 

Bees  are  certainly  very  clever,  and  they  are  able 
to  learn.  The  old  and  successful  robber  soon 
reasons  it  out  that  where  the  bee-keeper  with  a 
smoker  belches  forth  annoying  fumes,  there  are  to 


170  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

be  found  open  hives  ready  for  robbing;  such  bees 
will  follow  the  operator  from  hive  to  hive,  taking  their 
tithe  from  the  helpless  colonies.  For  such  robbers  as 
these  a  way  to  appease  them  is  a  device  for  letting 
them  rob  where  they  can  do  little  damage.  Unsal- 
able comb  partly  filled  is  put  in  hives  or  supers 
piled  up.  These  are  ventilated  by  having  a  wire 
screen  above,  the  cover  lifted,  and  the  entrance 
contracted  so  that  only  one  bee  can  pass  in  and  out  at 
a  time.  This  keeps  the  robbers  busy  and  happy 
and  out  of  the  way,  and  the  process  is  called  "slow 
robbing.*' 

Some  apiarists  remove  the  robbed  colony  to  a  cellar 
for  a  day  or  two  until  it  can  recover  its  communal 
courage. 

BORROWING 

When  a  colony  is  queenless,  or  for  some  reason  has 
no  brood,  it  often  allows  the  robbers  to  come  and  go 
at  will,  as  if  it  had  found  Ufe  worthless  anyhow,  and 
that  there  was  no  use  in  struggling.  It  seems 
possessed  of  the  sort  of  pessimism  which  leads  to 
stoic  recklessness.  This  can  usually  be  stopped  by 
giving  the  plundered  colony  a  queen  and  brood;  as 
soon  as  the  bees  find  they  have  something  worth 
while  to  live  for  and  fight  for  they  are  mightily 
heartened  and  offer  a  brave  defence. 

WHAT   BECOMES   OP  THE   ROBBED    COLONY 

Some  of  the  bees  are  adaptable,  and  when  they 
lose  courage  in  defending  their  own  stores  they 
turn  about  and  help  carry  these  stores  to  the  hive  of 


ROBBING  IN  THE  APIARY         171 

the  robbers,  which  they  join,  thus  swearing  allegiance 
to  a  new  flag.  Others,  more  loyal,  will  cling  to  the  old 
empty  comb,  cluster  there,  hopeless  and  despairing 
until  they  die  of  starvation. 

MAXIMS    TO    PREVENT    ROBBING 

Be  sure  that  the  bees  are  robbing,  before  applying 
remedies. 

Keep  the  colonies  strong. 

Keep  watch  of  the  hives  in  early  spring  and  late 
fall  when  there  is  no  honey  coming  in. 

Leave  no  honey  or  loose  comb  open  around  the 
apiary  under  any  circumstances. 

If  bees  are  determined  to  rob  when  the  hives  are 
opened  by  the  operator,  it  is  best  to  work  under  a 
bee  tent  or  after  nightfall. 

Robbing  demoralises  the  whole  apiary.  If  the 
bees  are  cross,  look  out  for  robbers. 

Be  very  careful  in  uncapping  not  to  let  the  bees 
get  a  taste  of  the  chyle  food,  as  that  makes  them  very 
cross  and  wild  to  rob. 

Keep  Italians. 

Do  not  let  the  colony  become  queenless,  as  a  queen- 
less  colony  is  legitimate  prey  for  many  depredators. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  ENEMIES  AND  DISEASES  OF  BEES 

THE  BEE-MOTH  XGallena  melloneUa) 

This  miserable  little  pest  is  classic  in  its  devasta- 
tions as  it  is  mentioned  by  the  old  writers,  Aristotle 
paying  to  it  bitter  tribute.  It  belongs  to  a  family 
of  secretive  moths  which  fold  their  dull  wings 
closely  about  the  body,  and  thus  look  more  hke  bits 
of  sticks  than  like  insects.  They  are  called  the 
snout  moths  (Pyralidce)  because  the  palpi  extend  out 
in  front  of  the  head  in  a  highly  ornamental  and 
striking  manner. 

The  bee-moth  is  a  most  insidious  creature,  hiding 
in  cracks,  and,  when  it  flies,  darting  about  with 
almost  inconceivable  swiftness.  It  is  only  by  such 
means  that  it  eludes  the  watchful  bees.  Professor 
Kellogg  observes  that  the  moth  simply  works  against 
time  when  it  rushes  into  a  hive  by  laying  its  eggs 
rapidly,  dodging  about  with  the  utmost  rapidity  to 
leave  as  many  progeny  as  possible  before  the  bees 
can  get  hold  of  her  and  tear  her  asunder,  a  fate  which 
surely  awaits  her.  So  it  seems  that  even  a  parasite 
may  be  brave  and  go  to  certain  death  in  fulfilling  its 
destiny.  Mr.  Cook  says  that  the  moth  will  lay  eggs 
while  her  head  and  thorax  are  being  dissected,  which 
172 


ENEMIES  AND  DISEASES  OF  BEES    173 

shows  that  even  after  death  she  is  efficient  for  mis- 
chief in  the  hive. 

The  eggs  are  small  and  white  and  are  put  into 
crevices.  From  such  an  egg  there  hatches  a  cater- 
pillar which  spins  about  itself  a  silken  tube,  wherein 
it  lives  and  in  some  mysterious  way  is  protected  from 
the  bees.  It  may  be  that  these  tubes  are  of  such 
texture  that  the  bees  cannot  sting  through  them;  or 
they  may  simply  be  sufficiently  thick  to  protect  their 
inmate  from  bee  observation.  The  caterpillar  lives 
upon  the  wax  and  young  bees,  and  also  upon  the  bee 
bread;  it  is  a  voracious  eater,  and  tunnels  through 
the  comb,  destroying  everything  in  its  path.  Those 
who  have  had  experience  with  it  say  that  by  holding 
an  infested  comb  to  the  ear,  the  noise  made  by  the 
industrious  jaws  of  the  caterpillar  can  be  distinctly 
heard.  Its  presence  can  be  detected  by  the  filth  and 
the  debris  on  the  bottom  board  of  the  hive  and  also 
by  the  silken  tubes  on  the  comb.  'VSTien  the  cater- 
pillars destroy  the  bee  larvae,  the  bees  take  out  the 
remains  and  dump  them  in  front  of  the  hive,  thus 
gaining  among  the  ignorant,  a  reputation  for  infanti- 
cide which  they  little  deserve. 

In  favourable  locations  the  growth  of  these  moths 
from  egg  to  adult  may  require  six  weeks;  the  cater- 
pillar when  about  an  inch  in  length  changes  to  a 
pupa,  in  a  very  thick,  protecting  cocoon  of  tough 
silk.  The  silk  made  by  these  caterpillars  is  of  a  most 
excellent  quality;  there  is  in  the  Cornell  University 
Museum  a  filmy  but  strong  silken  handkerchief 
made  by  bee-moths  passing  and  repassing  over  a  flat 


174  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

board;  it  was  made  quite  involuntarily  as  the  eater- 
pillars  spin  wherever  they  go.  The  bee-moth  is 
especially  destructive  to  stored  comb  if  it  is  piled 
close  together. 

REMEDY 

To  prevent  the  injuries  of  this  pest  the  colonies 
should  be  kept  strong.  The  bee-moth  follows  the 
rule  of  other  parasites  and  attacks  only  the  weak 
and  the  irresolute,  and  never  injures  a  comb  that  is 
covered  with  bees.  A  queenless  colony,  dejected 
and  discouraged,  is  usually  victimised  by  it.  The 
Italian  bees  have  learned  to  cope  with  the  bee-moth 
and  exterminate  it  whenever  attacked  by  it.  Some 
bee-keepers,  when  a  comb  becomes  infested,  intro- 
duce it  into  the  centre  of  an  Italian  colony,  being 
sure  that  the  little  wretches  will  find  there  the  fate 
they  deserve.  But  to  us  this  seems  rather  an  im- 
position upon  a  self-respecting  colony  of  bees. 

The  use  of  plain,  simple,  well-made  hives  is  a 
protection  from  the  bee-moth,  as  such  hives  do  not 
afford  hiding-places  for  moths  and  eggs. 

Before  comb  is  stored  it  should  be  put  in  a  closed 
box  out  of  doors,  and  a  saucer  of  carbon  bisulphide 
placed  on  top  of  the  comb  and  left  for  a  day.  The 
deadly  gas  of  this  poison  is  heavier  than  the  air  and 
so  falls  instead  of  rising.  Care  should  be  taken  not 
to  breathe  the  fumes  more  than  is  necessary  and 
hence  the  work  should  be  done  in  the  open  air. 
Another  reason  for  this  is  that  the  gas  is  inflammable, 
and  hence  no  fire  should  be  allowed  near  it.     There 


ENEMIES  AND  DISEASES  OF  BEES      175 

is  another  reason  why  the  work  should  be  done  in 
the  open  and  that  is  because  of  the  sickening  stench 
of  the  gas.  Comb  thus  treated  should  be  stored  in  a 
perfectly  tight  receptacle,  or  else  be  set  an  inch  or  so 
apart  on  shelves.  The  bee-moth  caterpillar  does 
not  seem  to  like  to  work  in  combs  that  are  not  set 
as  closely  together,  as  they  are  in  the  hives. 

If  combs  infested  with  the  bee-moth  are  subjected 
to  a  temperature  of  10°  F.  the  moth  is  usually  ex- 
terminated. However,  the  pest  normally  passes  the 
winter  in  the  pupa  state,  and  seems  to  be  able  to 
survive  in  hives  left  out  of  doors,  wherever  the  bees 
can  survive.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  bee- 
moth  works  only  during  the  summer  from  May  until 
October,  and  remains  quiescent  during  the  winter. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  the  modern  up-to-date  bee- 
keeper has  almost  no  trouble  with  the  bee-moth. 
It  is  a  special  enemy  of  the  heedless  and  careless  man 
who  neglects  his  hives,  and  thus  may  well  deserve 
to  have  his  bees  exterminated. 

If  a  colony  is  attacked  by  the  bee-moth,  the  hive 
should  be  thoroughly  cleaned;  new  good  comb 
should  be  introduced  and  only  enough  so  that  the 
bees  can  cover  it.  The  infested  comb  should  be 
fumigated  with  carbon  bisulphide,  and  after  the 
moths  are  killed  it  may  be  given  to  a  strong  colony 
to  clean  out  and  use. 

THE   INDIAN-MEAL   MOTH   {Plodia  interpunctella) 

The  Indian-meal  moth  sometimes  forsakes  its 
bins  of  grain  and  meal  and  devastates  the  honey- 


176  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

comb.  It  does  not  measure  more  than  one-eighth 
of  an  inch  across  its  wings,  and  its  caterpillar  is 
almost  too  small  to  be  noticed,  unless  it  occurs  in 
great  numbers.  It  sometimes  attacks  the  honey- 
comb in  the  North,  and  in  the  South  it  is  often  a 
great  nuisance.  The  only  remedy  for  this  very 
small  pest  is  to  change  the  bees  to  smaller  hives,  and 
expose  the  infested  comb  to  the  fumes  of  carbon  bi- 
sulphide. 

BEE-MOTH  MAXIMS 

The  shiftless  bee-keeper  is  the  one  who  complains 
of  the  wax-worm. 

Keep  Italian  bees. 

Keep  the  colonies  strong. 

Do  not  leave  more  comb  in  the  hive  than  the  bees 
are  able  to  cover. 

Use  well-made  hives  with  no  crevices. 

If  you  see  a  web  upon  the  comb,  hunt  out  the 
caterpillar  and  kill  it  at  once. 

If  bee-moths  get  into  the  honey  store-room,  close 
the  room  and  fumigate  it  with  brimstone  or  carbon 
bisulphide. 

FOUL  BROOD 

This  is  an  infectious  bacterial  disease,  and  its 
presence  in  the  apiary  may  be  attended  by  serious 
results.  When  it  first  appeared  in  America,  large 
apiaries  were  completely  destroyed.  In  1874,  Pro- 
fessor Cohn  discovered  the  organism  which  causes 
the  disease,  and  which  bears  the  name  of  Bacillus 
alvei.    This  microbe  attacks  the  immature  larvae 


ENEMIES  AND  DISEASES  OF  BEES    177 

and  they  die  in  the  cells.  It  always  attacks,  to  a 
lesser  extent,  the  adult  bee;  but  these  leave  the  hive 
to  die  and  are  not  such  a  dangerous  source  of  in- 
fection as  are  the  decaying  larvae.  Infected  honey 
is  the  medium  by  which  the  disease  is  ordinarily 
spread  from  hive  to  hive.  Undoubtedly  robbing  is  to 
a  great  extent  responsible  for  its  prevalence. 

HOW  TO  DETECT  FOUL  BROOD 

The  brood  appears  in  irregular  patches  and  it 
does  not  all  hatch;  the  caps  to  the  brood  cells  may 
be  sunken  and  broken  at  the  centre,  the  holes  being 
irregular,  instead  of  the  neat  circular  perforations 
which  may  be  found  above  the  healthy  larvae. 
The  sure  test  of  the  presence  of  the  disease  is  found 
in  the  dead  body  of  the  larva,  which  is  dark  and 
discoloured;  and  if  a  toothpick  or  pin  be  thrust  into 
it  and  then  drawn  back,  the  body  contents  will  adhere 
to  it  in  a  stringy  mass,  to  the  extent  of  a  half  or  even 
an  entire  inch,  as  if  it  were  mucous  or  glue;  later  the 
bodies  of  the  larvae  dry  and  appear  as  black  scales  in 
the  cell  bottoms.  Another  evidence  of  the  presence 
of  the  disease  is  a  peculiarly  disagreeable  odour 
which  permeates  the  hive,  which  Mr.  Root  likens  to 
that  of  a  glue  pot. 

Remedies. — ^These  have  been  worked  out  by 
many  bee-keepers,  notably  by  Mr.  William  McEvoy, 
inspector  of  bees  in  Ontario,  Canada.  His  remedy 
is  as  follows:  When  there  is  a  good  honey  flow 
so  the  bees  will  not  suffer,  all  the  comb  is  taken  from 
the  infected  colony  and  frames  with   foundation- 


178  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

starters  are  given  instead.  Having  no  young  to 
feed,  the  bees  use  all  the  infected  honey  in  their 
stomachs  for  making  comb.  At  the  end  of  the 
fourth  day  all  this  comb  is  removed  and  new- 
frames  with  foundation  are  substituted,  and  the 
deed  is  done. 

Mr.  Root's  practice  is  to  remove  the  hive  from  its 
stand  about  dark,  to  prevent  robbing,  and  put 
another  just  like  it  in  its  place  which  contains 
frames  filled  with  foundation.  The  bees  are  shaken 
from  the  infected  hive  into  the  new  one.  Here  they 
are  shut  in  without  food  for  three  or  four  days,  thus 
being  compelled  to  use  all  the  honey  in  their  honey 
sacs.  Then  they  are  fed  and  the  disease  does  not 
appear  again  in  colonies  thus  treated.  Mr.  Root 
burns  all  the  infected  comb  and  frames  and  dis- 
infects the  hives  with  hot  water  before  they  are 
used  again;  other  apiarists  of  experience  support 
Mr.  Root  in  this  matter.  Fumigating  the  hives  with 
burning  brimstone  would  perhaps  be  an  easier  or  a 
surer  way  of  disinfecting  the  hives. 

Many  apiarists  who  do  a  large  business  do  not 
destroy  the  infected  comb,  but  render  it  in  a  steam 
wax  press.  They  also  thin  the  infected  honey  and 
boil  it  for  two  hours,  adding  to  it  a  little  salicylic 
acid,  and  use  it  to  feed  back  to  the  bees.  But  this 
would  hardly  pay,  unless  great  care  were  taken,  as 
one  drop  of  the  infected  honey  would  start  the 
disease  anew. 

Some  have  tried  medicated  syrup  as  a  remedy. 
It  is  true  that  syrup  made  with  salicylic  acid  or  beta- 


ENEMIES  AND  DISEASES  OF  BEES    179 

naphthol  will  retard  the  disease,  but  most  bee-keepers 
believe  that  it  is  not  a  sure  remedy. 

BLACK   BROOD 

This  appeared  in  New  York  so  frequently  that  it 
was  called  the  New  York  bee-disease.  It  was 
differentiated  from  foul  brood  by  Dr.  Wm.  R. 
Howard,  of  Texas,  who  found  the  bacillus  and 
described  it.  The  chief  way  of  telling  it  from  foul 
brood  is  that  the  contents  of  the  body  of  the  dead 
larva  is  jelly-like,  instead  of  gluey.  However,  Dr. 
Veranus  Moore  and  Dr.  G.  Franklin  White,  of  the 
New  York  Veterinary  College  at  Cornell  University, 
worked  upon  this  disease  for  some  time  and,  in 
1903,  reported  that  the  bacillus  of  this  disease  is 
alvei  and  identical  with  that  discovered  and  dis- 
scribed  by  Cohn  as  the  cause  of  foul  brood. 

PICKLED    BROOD 

This  disease  of  the  brood  differs  from  the  others 
in  that  the  body-contents  of  the  dead  larva  are 
watery  and  that  no  peculiar  stench  in  the  hive 
emanates  from  them.  Neither  is  it  so  contagious  as 
foul  brood,  though  it  may  seriously  cripple  an  apiary, 
if  not  checked.  The  remedy  for  foul  brood  is  applied 
with  success  to  colonies  suffering  from  this  disease. 

DIARRHOEA 

This  disease  is  part  of  the  difficulty  of  wintering. 
It  is  induced  by  the  bees'  habit  of  retaining  waste 
matter  in  the  body  until  they  can  fly  out  of  the  hive, 


180  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

for  thus  they  preserve  the  cleanliness  of  their  home. 
The  first  symptom  of  the  disease  is  the  soiling  of  the 
hive  entrance  with  brownish  excrement;  the  bees  are 
also  likely  to  die  in  great  numbers,  their  bodies 
being  much  swollen. 

The  cause  of  the  disease  is  attributed  to  cold  and 
dampness,  and  poor  food.  If,  in  the  fall,  the  bees 
store  honey  made  from  the  juices  of  rotting  fruit  or 
cider  refuse,  or  from  honey-dew  excreted  by  plant 
lice,  they  are  very  likely  to  perish  by  feeding  upon  it 
during  the  winter.  But  even  with  good  honey  bees 
wintered  in  cold,  damp  hives  are  liable  to  contract 
the  disease. 

PREVENTION 

Give  the  bees  plenty  of  good  food  for  winter.  If 
the  honey  they  have  gathered  in  August  is  extracted, 
feed  them  syrup  from  the  best  of  sugar.  In  winter 
keep  the  hives  in  proper  temperature,  with  sufficient 
good  air  and  ventilation.  After  the  disease  once 
appears,  there  is  no  remedy,  except  warm  weather, 
which  will  promptly  bring  relief. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  ANATOMY  OF  THE  HONEY-BEE 

A  DETAILED  discussioii  of  the  anatomy  of  the 
honey-bee  does  not  fall  within  the  scope  of  this  book; 
for  such  a  discussion,  special  works  on  insect  anatomy 
must  be  consulted.  But  there  are  certain  of  the 
more  general  features  of  the  structure  of  the  bee 
which  the  bee-keeper  should  know;  and  a  discussion 
of  these,  merits  a  place  even  in  an  elementary  book 
on  bee-keeping. 

In  treating  of  insect  anatomy  it  is  customary  to 
divide  the  subject  into  two  parts:  first,  external 
anatomy,  which  treats  of  the  structure  of  the  body- 
wall;  and,  second,  internal  anatomy,  which  treats 
of  the  parts  found  inside  the  body- wall. 

I.      EXTERNAL  ANATOMY 

The  body-wall. — ^Insects  differ  fundamentally  from 
man  and  other  backboned  animals.  With  us,  the 
muscles  and  other  soft  parts  are  supported  by  an 
internal  skeleton;  with  the  insects  the  body-wall,  that 
part  which  corresponds  to  our  skin,  is  hard  and 
serves  as  a  skeleton.  In  some  respects  this  is  a  better 
arrangement  than  that  which  obtains  with  us,  for 
the  skeleton  of  an  insect  serves  as  an  armour  to 
protect  the  body  as  well  as  a  support  for  the  soft 
parts. 

181 


182  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

This  arrangement  of  parts  holds  with  the  append- 
ages of  the  body  of  an  insect  as  well  as  with  the  body 
itself;  the  legs,  mouth-parts  and  antennae  are  all 
tubular  organs,  having  a  firm  outer  skeleton  support- 
ing the  inner  parts. 

Movement  of  the  body  and  its  appendages  is 
provided  for  by  narrow,  flexible,  zone-like  areas  in 
the  skeleton  which  encircle  the  body  and  the  ap- 
pendages, at  frequent  intervals.  This  segmented 
condition  of  the  body  is  easily  seen  in  the  hind  part 
or  abdomen,  which  appears  to  consist  of  a  series  of 
rings. 

The  microscopic  structure  of  the  body-wall  is 
comparatively  simple.  There  is  an  inner  cellular 
part  which  consists  of  a  single  layer  of  cells:  this  is 
the  hypodermis  (Plate  XXV,  2,  h) ;  and  the  outer  or 
hard  part:  this  is  the  cuticle  (Plate  XXV,  2,  c). 

The  hypodermis  is  the  active  living  part;  it  pro- 
duces the  cuticle,  which  receives  additions  from 
it  constantly  during  the  life  of  the  insect.  On 
this  account,  when  a  section  of  the  cuticle  is 
examined  with  a  microscope  it  presents  a  layered 
appearance. 

Moulting  of  the  cuticle. — ^From  time  to  time  during 
the  growth  of  the  insect  the  outer  layers  of  the 
cuticle  are  shed;  this  is  known  as  moulting.  After 
a  moult,  the  inner  layers  of  the  cuticle,  which  have 
now  become  the  outer  layers,  but  w^hich  are  still 
soft,  stretch  to  accommodate  the  increased  size  of 
the  body,  and  then  soon  become  hard.  This  moult- 
ing, or  shedding  of  the  skin,  takes  place  about  six 


ANATOMY  OF  THE  HONEY-BEE     183 

times  during  the  development  of  the  bee.  Several 
moults  occur  during  the  larval  life:  one  when  the 
larva  changes  to  a  pupa,  and  the  last  one  when  the 
pupa  changes  to  the  adult  or  winged  form,  just 
before  leaving  the  cell  in  which  it  has  been  de- 
veloped. 

The  head. — The  segments  of  which  the  body  of  an 
insect  is  composed  are  grouped  into  three  regions: 
the  head,  the  thorax,  and  the  abdomen. 

The  head  is  the  first  of  the  three  regions.  It  is 
formed  of  several  segments  grown  together  so  as  to 
from  a  compact  box.  It  bears  the  eyes,  the  antennae, 
and  the  mouth-parts. 

The  eyes  are  of  two  kinds,  which  are  distinguished 
as  the  compound  eyes  and  the  simple  eyes. 

The  compound  eyes  are  two  in  number,  one  on 
each  side  of  the  head;  they  are  the  organs  commonly 
recognised  as  the  eyes.  They  are  called  compound 
eyes  because  each  consists  of  a  great  number  of  little 
eyes  closely  pressed  together.  If  a  compound  eye 
be  examined  with  a  microscope,  it  will  be  seen  to 
present  the  appearance  of  a  honey-comb,  being 
composed  of  a  great  number  of  six-sided  elements; 
each  of  these  is  a  separate  eye. 

In  addition  to  the  compound  eyes,  the  bee  has 
three  simple  eyes,  or  ocelli,  as  they  are  termed. 
They  are  situated  on  the  upper  part  of  the  head 
between  the  compound  eyes. 

The  antennae  are  two  slender,  many-jointed 
organs  projecting  from  the  front  part  of  the  head. 
Their   use   has   not   been   fully   elucidated.     They 


184  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

are  doubtless  sense  organs;  and  it  is  believed  that 
certain  microscopic  pits,  which  occur  in  great  num- 
bers in  their  cuticle,  are  the  organs  of  smell.  It  is 
possible,  also,  that  the  antennae  function  as  organs 
of  touch,  certain  hairs  with  which  they  are  furnished 
being  the  tactile  organs. 

The  mouth-parts  are  very  complicated.  They  con- 
sist of  an  upper  lip,  a  lower  lip,  and  two  pairs  of 
jaws  between  the  lips. 

The  upper  lip  is  known  at  the  lahrum.  It  is  a  flap- 
like projection  situated  above,  or  in  front  of,  the 
other  mouth-parts  (Plate  XXV,  u). 

The  first  pair  of  jaws,  those  situated  nearest  the 
labrum,  are  the  mandibles  (Plate  XXV,  3,  md). 
Each  mandible  consists  of  a  single  hard  piece. 
They  are  the  biting  organs.  Certain  wild  bees, 
distantly  related  to  the  honey-bee,  dig  holes  in  wood 
with  their  mandibles  for  nests  for  their  brood.  The 
honey-bee  uses  its  mandibles  as  tools  for  the  manipu- 
lation of  wax  and  propolis,  and  as  weapons  in  its 
combats. 

The  second  pair  of  jaws,  which  are  situated 
between  the  mandibles  and  the  lower  lip,  are  the 
maxillae  (Plate  XXV,  3,  mx).  Each  maxilla  is  a  long 
blade.  The  maxillse,  combined  with  the  lower  lip, 
constitute  what,  in  popular  language,  is  kno^NTi  as 
the  tongue,  the  organ  by  means  of  which  the  food  is 
conveyed  to  the  mouth,  or  the  nectar  extracted  from 
a  flower. 

The  lower  lip,  or  labium  (Plate  XXV,  3,  /),  is  the 
long  central  part  of  the  so-called  tongue;  it  bears  on 


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PLATE   XXIV.      SUMAC   IN   BLOSSOM   AND    BLOSSOM 
OF    MOUNTAIN    MAPLE 
The  Sumac  is  an  excellent  honey-producer. 


rig,  5 


PLATE  XXV.  Fig.  i. — Vertical  longitudinal  section  of  the  body  of  a  larva 
of  an  insect ;  s,  body-wall  or  skeleton ;  w,  muscles  ;  n,  alimentary  canal  ;  A, 
heart ;  «,  nervous  system  ;  r,  reproductive  organs.  Fig.  2. — Section  of  the 
body-wall;  f,  cuticle  ;  /i,  hypodermis  ;  z",  trichogen  or  hair-formingcell.  Fig.  3 
—  Head  of  a  bee  and  its  appendages;  a.  antenna ;  c,  clypens  ;  ?<,  upper  lip  or 
labrum;  vi,  mandible;  t/i.r.  maxilla;  A  lower  lip  or  labium ; /,  labial  palpus. 
Fig.  4. — Glands  of  a  honey-bee  (after  Girard);  /,  supracerebral  glands  ;  2.  post- 
cerebral  glands;  j  thoracic  glands.      Fig.  5. — The  wax-plates  (after  Cheshire). 


ANATOMY  OF  THE  HONEY-BEE     185 

each  side  a  long  appendage;  these  are  the  labial 
j>al'pi  (Plate  XXV,  3,  p). 

The  thorax. — The  thorax  is  the  central  region  of 
the  body.  It  consists  of  three  body-segments, 
which  are  grown  together  so  compactly  in  the  adult 
insect  that  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  them.  The 
thorax  bears  the  organs  of  locomotion,  the  wings  and 
the  legs. 

There  are  two  pairs  of  wings;  but  the  two  wings  of 
each  side  are  so  closely  united  that  they  appear  as  one. 
The  union  is  accomplished  by  a  row  of  hooks  on  the 
front  edge  of  the  hind  wing,  which  fasten  into  a 
fold  in  the  hind  edge  of  the  fore  wing.  The  wings 
are  strengthened  by  a  framework  of  heavy  lines, 
which  extend  in  various  but  definite  directions. 
Between  these  lines  the  wing  is  a  thin  membrane. 

There  are  three  pairs  of  legs,  a  pair  borne  by  each 
of  the  three  body-segments  of  which  the  thorax  is 
composed. 

Each  leg  consists  of  nine  segments  and  a  pair  of 
claws  at  the  tip  of  the  last  segment.  The  first  two 
segments,  the  coxa  and  the  trochanter,  are  short; 
then  follow  the  two  principal  segments,  the  femur,  or 
thigh,  and  the  tibia,  or  shank;  the  five  remaining 
segments  constitute  the  tarsus  or  foot.  A  striking 
peculiarity  in  the  tarsi  of  bees  is  that  the  first  seg- 
ment differs  greatly  in  form  from  the  other  segments 
and  is  much  larger,  approaching  the  tibia  in  size. 
This  enlarged  tarsal  segment  has  received  the  special 
name  of  metatarsus. 

The  legs  serve  several  functions  besides  that  of 


186  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

locomotion.  Thus,  on  each  fore  leg  there  is  an 
organ  for  cleaning  the  antennae.  The  antenna 
cleaner  consists  of  a  circular  notch  near  the  base  of 
the  metatarsus,  which  is  furnished  with  teeth  like  a 
comb  (Plate  VII,  F,  a),  and  a  spur  projecting  back 
from  the  tibia  in  such  a  way  as  to  close  this  notch 
when  the  leg  is  bent.  The  antenna  to  be  cleaned  is 
drawn  through  this  notch  and  thus  the  dirt  is 
combed  from  it. 

On  the  middle  legs  there  is  a  strong  spur  at  the 
distal  end  of  the  tibia  which  is  used  in  loosing  the 
pellets  of  pollen  brought  to  the  hive  on  the  hind  legs. 

The  third  pair  of  legs  are  furnished  with  three 
organs  which  deserve  mention  here.  First :  the  wax 
pincers.  Both  the  tibia  and  the  metatarsus  are  wide; 
the  joint  uniting  them  is  at  one  edge,  hence  by  alter- 
nately bending  and  straightening  the  leg  at  this 
joint,  the  space  between  the  two  segments  (Plate  VII, 
B,  wp)  is  opened  and  shut  like  pincers.  This  organ 
is  used  to  loosen  from  the  abdomen  the  scales  of 
wax.  Second :  the  pollen-combs.  These  are  several 
comb-like  series  of  spines,  borne  on  the  inner  surface 
of  the  metatarsus  (Plate  VII,  B,  pc).  When  a  bee 
visits  a  flower  the  pollen  is  gathered  by  the  tongue  and 
fore  legs  and  some  of  it  becomes  entangled  among  the 
hairs  on  the  thorax.  It  is  then  combed  from  these 
parts  by  means  of  the  pollen-combs  and  transferred 
to  the  pollen-baskets.  Third :  the  pollen-basket. 
There  is  a  pollen-basket  on  the  outer  surface  of  the 
tibia  of  each  hind  leg.  It  consists  of  a  fringe  of 
hairs,  surrounding  a  smooth,  concave  area  which 


ANATOMY  OF  THE  HONEY-BEE     187 

occupies  the  greater  part  of  the  outer  face  of  this 
segment  of  the  leg.  In  it  the  pollen  is  packed  when 
combed  from  the  hairs,  and  transported  to  the  hive. 
The  abdomen. — The  abdomen  is  the  last  of  the 
three  regions  of  the  body.  It  consists  of  a  series  of 
comparatively  simple,  overlapping  segments,  without 
conspicuous  appendages. 

II.      INTERNAL   ANATOMY 

Relative  position  of  the  internal  organs, — ^As  has 
been  shown  in  the  preceding  pages,  the  body-wall 
serves  as  a  skeleton,  being  hard  and  giving  support 
to  the  other  organs  of  the  body,  which  are  con- 
tained within  it. 

The  accompanying  diagram  (Plate  XXV,  1),  which 
represents  a  vertical  longitudinal  section  of  the  body 
of  the  larva  of  an  insect,  will  enable  the  reader  to 
gain  an  idea  of  the  relative  positions  of  some  of  the 
more  important  organs.  The  parts  shown  in  the 
diagram  are  the  follow^ing:  The  body-wall  or  skele- 
ton {s);  this  is  made  up  of  a  series  of  overlapping 
segments;  that  part  of  it  which  is  between  the  seg- 
ments is  thinner,  and  is  not  hardened,  this  remaining 
flexible  and  allowing  for  the  movements  of  the  body. 
Just  within  the  body-wall,  and  attached  to  it,  are 
represented  a  few  of  the  muscles  (m) ;  it  will  be  seen 
that  these  muscles  are  so  arranged  that  the  contrac- 
tion of  those  on  the  lower  side  of  the  body  would  bend 
it  down,  while  the  contraction  of  those  on  the  oppo- 
site side  would  act  in  the  opposite  direction.  The 
alimentary  canal  (a)  occupies  the  centre  of  the  body 


188  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

and  extends  from  one  end  to  the  other.  The  heart 
(h)  is  a  tube  open  at  both  ends,  and  lying  between 
the  alimentary  canal  and  the  muscles  of  the  back. 

The  central  part  of  the  nervous  system  (n)  is  a 
series  of  small  masses  of  nervous  matter,  connected 
by  two  longitudinal  chords;  one  of  these  masses, 
the  brain,  lies  above  the  alimentary  canal;  the  others 
are  situated,  one  in  each  segment,  between  the 
alimentary  canal  and  the  ventral  wall  of  the  body; 
the  two  chords  connecting  these  masses,  or  ganglia, 
pass  one  on  each  side  of  the  oesophagus  to  the  brain. 
The  reproductive  organs  (r)  lie  in  the  cavity  of  the 
abdomen  and  open  near  the  hind  end  of  the  body. 
The  respiratory  organs  are  omitted  from  this  dia- 
gram for  the  sake  of  simplicity. 

The  respiratory  system. — The  most  striking  pecu- 
liarity in  the  structure  of  insects  is  the  form  of 
their  organs  for  breathing,  for  they  do  not  breathe 
through  the  mouth  as  we  do.  If  an  insect  be  care- 
fully examined,  there  can  be  found  along  the  sides 
of  the  body,  a  series  of  openings;  these  are  the 
openings  through  which  the  air  passes  into  the  respir- 
atory system,  and  are  termed  spiracles.  The  spir- 
acles of  the  honey-bee  are  small,  and  are  not  easily 
found  by  one  not  trained  to  look  for  such  things; 
but  if  the  reader  will  examine  the  sides  of  one  of  our 
larger  caterpillars,  he  will  have  no  trouble  in  seeing 
them.  Typically,  there  is  a  pair  of  spiracles,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  body,  in  each  of  the  body-seg- 
ments, but  they  are  lacking  in  the  head  and  in  some 
of  the  other  segments.     The  spiracles  lead  into  a  sys- 


ANATOMY  OF  THE  HONEY-BEE     189 

tern  of  air  tubes,  termed  tracheae,  which  carry  the  air 
to  all  parts  of  the  body.  When  the  body  of  an  insect 
is  opened,  the  tracheae  appear  as  silvery  threads,  on 
account  of  the  contained  air.  In  the  adult  honey- 
bee certain  of  the  tracheae  are  greatly  expanded  so 
as  to  form  large  air  sacs.     (Plate  XXVI  6,  2). 

The  glands, — Those  glands  found  in  the  body  of 
the  honey  bee  that  are  of  most  interest  to  the  prac- 
tical bee-keeper  are  the  following: 

In  the  larva  there  is  a  pair  of  long,  tubular  glands, 
which  secrete  the  silk  of  which  the  cocoon  is  made. 
These  glands  open  through  a  common  duct,  which 
has  its  outlet  near  the  mouth. 

In  the  adult  worker  bee  there  are  four  pairs  of 
glands  opening  into  the  mouth,  which  have  been 
much  discussed  by  students  of  this  subject.  These 
glands  are  designated  both  by  number  and  by 
name  as  follows:  System  I.  or  supracerebral 
glands;  system  II.  or  postcerebral  glands;  system 
III.  or  thoracic  glands;  and  system  IV.  or 
mandibulary  glands. 

The  supracerebral  glands  or  system  I.  (Plate  XXV, 
Fig.  4,  1)  are  situated  in  the  head  above  the  brain. 
They  open  by  two  openings  in  the  floor  of  the  mouth 
cavity,  one  on  each  side. 

The  postcerebral  glands  or  system  II.  (Plate  XXV, 
Fig.  4,  2)  are  situated  in  the  head  behind  the  brain; 
their  outlets  unite  into  a  common  duct  which  opens 
on  the  middle  line  of  the  anterior  end  of  the  oeso- 
phagus at  the  base  of  the  tongue. 

The  thoracic  glands  or  system  III.  (Plate  XXV, 


190  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

Fig.  4,  3)  are  situated  in  the  thorax;  their  outlets 
unite  into  a  common  duct,  which  joins  the  ducts 
from  the  postcerebral  glands,  the  two  systems  of 
glands  opening  through  a  common  opening. 

The  mandibulary  glands  or  system  IV.  are  two 
small  glands  one  on  each  side  opening  at  the  base 
of  the  mandible. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  regarding  the 
function  of  these  different  glands;  and  even  now  any 
statement  of  conclusions  must  be  regarded  as  pro- 
visional. 

The  supracerebral  glands  are  large  in  nurse  bees 
and  shrunken  in  the  old  bees  that  no  longer  nurse 
the  brood;  they  are  normally  found  only  in  the 
workers.  It  is  therefore  believed  that  they  secrete 
the  milky  food,  commonly  called  royal  jelly,  which 
is  fed  to  all  larvse  during  the  first  days  of  their 
development,  to  the  queen  larvae  throughout  their 
development,  and  to  the  adult  queen  during  the  egg- 
laying  period.  The  food  fed  worker  and  drone  larvae 
during  the  latter  part  of  their  development  is  pro- 
duced in  the  chyle-stomach  of  the  nurse  bees,  and 
is  semi-digested  food. 

The  other  systems  of  glands  enumerated  above 
produce  the  saliva,  which  is  supposed  to  perform 
a  great  variety  of  functions.  "  It  helps  the  digestion ; 
it  changes  the  chemical  condition  of  the  nectar  har- 
vested from  the  flowers;  it  helps  to  knead  the  scales 
of  wax  of  which  the  combs  are  built,  and  perhaps 
the  propolis  with  which  the  hives  are  varnished.  It 
is  used  also  to  dilute  the  honey  when  too  thick,  to 


ANATOMY  OF  THE  HONEY-BEE     191 

moisten  the  pollen  grains,  to  wash  the  hairs  when 
daubed  with  honey,  etc." 

The  wax-glands  are  found  only  in  the  worker. 
There  are  four  pairs  of  them.  They  are  situated 
on  the  ventral  wall  of  the  second,  third,  fourth  and 
fifth  abdominal  segments,  and  on  that  part  of  the 
segment  which  is  overlapped  by  the  preceding  seg- 
ment. Each  gland  is  simply  a  disc-like  area  of  the 
hypodermis,  the  cells  of  which  take  nourishment  from 
the  blood  and  transform  it  into  wax.  The  cuticle 
covering  each  gland  is  smooth  and  delicate,  and  is 
known  as  a  wax-plate.  The  wax  exudes  through 
these  plates  and  accumulates,  forming  little  scales. 
(Plate  VI,  X,  also  Plate  XXV,  Fig.  5.) 

The  alimentary  canal. — The  form  of  the  alimentary 
canal  of  the  adult  honey-bee  is  shown  in  Plate  XXVI. 
The  following  parts  can  easily  be  recognised:  the 
oesophagus,  a  slender  tube,  beginning  at  the  mouth 
and  extending  through  the  head  and  thorax  to  the 
base  of  the  abdomen.  Here  there  is  a  sac-like 
enlargement  of  the  canal,  which  is  termed  the  honey- 
stomach;  it  is  in  this  that  the  nectar  accumulates  as 
it  is  collected  by  the  bee,  and  is  carried  to  the  hive. 
Behind  the  honey-stomach  lies  the  true  stomach, 
the  chief  digestive  organ.  Closely  applied  to  the 
true  stomach  are  several  small  tubes,  which  open 
into  it;  which  are  known  as  the  Malpighian  tubes; 
they  were  named  after  one  of  the  early  anatomists 
who  described  them;  they  are  the  urinary  organs. 
Next  to  the  true  stomach  is  the  small  intestine;  and 
behind  this,  the  large  intestine. 


192  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

The  reprodiictive  organs. — ^The  internal  repro- 
ductive organs  are  situated  in  the  abdomen;  there  is 
a  set  on  each  side,  but  the  two  sets  open  by  a  common 
duct,  whose  outlet  is  at  the  hind  end  of  the  body. 

The  reproductive  organs  of  the  female  are  shown  on 
Plate  XXVI  (a),  Fig.  1.  There  are  two  ovaries  (o), 
one  on  each  side  of  the  body.  Each  ovary  consists  of 
a  large  number  of  parallel  egg-tubes,  within  which 
the  eggs  are  developed.  The  egg-tubes  of  each  ovary 
open  into  an  oviduct  (od).  The  two  oviducts  unite 
and  form  a  single  tube  on  the  middle  line  of  the  body; 
this  is  the  vagina;  the  vagina  leads  to  the  external 
opening  of  the  system.  Communicating  with  the 
vagina,  there  is  a  sac-like  pouch,  the  spermatheca, 
which  is  the  reservoir  for  the  seminal  fluid;  this  is 
filled  at  the  time  of  pairing,  and  the  spermatozoa  may 
remain  alive  in  it  for  several  years. 

Each  egg- tube  produces  many  eggs.  As  the  eggs 
increase  in  size,  they  pass  towards  the  oviduct. 
When  the  egg  is  fully  developed  a  shell  is  formed 
about  it.  This  shell  has  a  minute  opening  through 
it  at  one  end;  this  is  the  micropyle.  At  the  time  the 
egg  is  laid  a  spermatozoon  may  pass  from  the  sper- 
matheca, where  thousands  of  them  are  stored,  into 
the  egg  through  the  micropyle,  and  thus  the  egg  is 
fertilised. 

With  most  animals,  the  egg  must  be  fertilised 
in  order  that  it  may  develop.  But  with  bees,  both 
fertilised  and  unfertilised  eggs  develop,  the  former 
into  females,  that  is,  workers  or  queens,  the  latter 
into  males,  that  is,  drones. 


Fig.  I 


PLATE  XXVI.  («.■)  The  reproductive  organs  of  the  honey-bee.  (From 
Leuckart,  slightly  modified.)  Fig.  i. — Reproductive  organs  of  a  queen;  0,0, 
ovaries  ;  od,  oviduct ;  s,  spermatheca  ;  g,  gland  ;  /,  poison  sac  connected  with 
the  sting.  Fig.  2. — Reproductive  organs  of  a  drone  ;  I,  t,  testes  ;  v,  vas  deferens ; 
s,  s,  seminal  sacs  ;  m,  m,  mucous  glands  ;  ed,  ejaculatory  duct ;  b,  pouch  or  bulb. 
The  bulb  and  the  following  parts  are  everted  through  the  outer  opening  at  the 
time  of  pairing. 


Fig^t 


PLATE  XXVI.  ((5.)  Fig.  i.— The  internal  anatomy  of  the  honey-bee  (after 
Cheshire),  o,  oesophagus  .  hs,  honey  sac  ;  /,  stomach-mouth  ;  cs,  true  stomach 
or  chyle-stomach  ;  w,  malpighian  tubes  ;  si,  small  intestine  ;  li,  large  intestine, 
A,  heart  or  dorsal  vessel  ;  «,  central  nervous  system  ;  /,  supracerebral  glands  ; 
2,  postcerebral  glands  ;  j,  thoracic  glands.  The  respiratory  system  and  the 
reproductive  organs  are  not  shown  in  this  figure  (after  Cheshire).  Fig.  2. — 
The  respiratory  svstem  of  ihe  honey-bee.  s,  s,  s,  spiracles  ;  a,  enlarged  trachea 
or  air  sac  (.adap  ed  from  Leuckart). 


Courtesy  of  Ginii  &•  Company 
PLATE    XXVII.      AN    OLD-FASHIONED   APIARY 


ANATOMY  OF  THE  HONEY-BEE     193 

Closely  associated  with  the  reproductive  organs 
of  the  female  is  the  sting;  this  is  a  barbed  dart  con- 
nected with  a  poison  gland,  whose  use  is  well  known. 

In  the  abdomen  of  the  male  there  is  a  pair  of 
organs,  the  testes,  in  which  the  spermatozoa  are  deve- 
loped. These  correspond  in  position  to  the  ovaries 
of  the  female,  but  are  much  smaller.  From  each 
testis  there  extends  a  tube  corresponding  to  the 
oviduct,  this  is  the  vas  deferens.  The  two  vasa 
defer entia  unite  and  form  the  single  ejaculator  duct. 
Each  vas  deferens  is  enlarged  just  before  it  joins 
the  ejaculatory  duct,  forming  a  reservoir  for  the 
accumulation  of  spermatozoa;  these  reservoirs  are 
termed  the  seminal  sacs.  Appended  to  each  seminal 
sac  there  is  a  large  glandular  sac,  which  adds  mucus 
to  the  seminal  fluid.  Near  the  outer  end  of  the 
ejaculatory  duct  there  is  a  pouchlike  enlargement 
into  which  the  spermatozoa  pass.  Here  they  are 
massed  into  a  compact  body,  known  as  the  sper- 
matophore,  which  is  transferred  to  the  female  at  the 
time  of  pairing.  The  terminal  part  of  the  repro- 
ductive organs  of  the  male,  the  intermittent  organ, 
has  several  appendages,  which  are  firmly  grasped 
in  the  opening  of  the  reproductive  organs  of  the 
female  and  are  torn  from  the  male  when  the  two 
pairing  individuals  separate.  This  causes  the  death 
of  the  male.  The  male  has  no  sting.  (Plate  XXVI, 
Fig.  2.) 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
INTERRELATION  OF  BEES  AND  PLANTS 

HONEY-FLOWERS 

The  facts  revealed  by  science  are  not  always 
beautiful,  however  interesting  they  may  be.  But 
the  discovery  of  the  interrelation  of  flowers  and 
insects,  that  partnership  which  has  existed  so  long 
that  it  has  modified  both  partners,  seems  to  belong 
to  the  realm  of  art  or  poetry  rather  than  to  that  of 
science.  Since  plants  must  needs  spend  their  lives 
where  they  are  developed  from  seeds,  they  may  not 
roam  abroad  like  animals  to  seek  their  mates.  But 
this  is  a  difficulty  which  they  readily  overcome, 
through  sending  their  messages  by  the  uneasy, 
flying  insects;  and  of  all  these  messengers,  the  bee 
is  surely  the  flowers'  favourite.  Its  fuzzy  body, 
admirably  adapted  to  be  a  pollen  brush,  its  swift 
wings  and  its  sedulous  attention  to  business,  all  tend 
to  make  it  the  most  important  of  the  flower-partners. 
Thus,  especially  for  the  bee,  have  thousands  of 
flower  species  developed  nectar,  in  pockets  placed 
cunningly  to  entice  her  to  take  upon  herself  a  pollen 
load.  And  for  countless  ages  the  flowers  have 
painted  their  petals  various  hues  and  shed  on  the 
atmosphere  their  perfume,  to  advertise  to  the  bee- 
world  that  they  had  pollen  and  nectar  to  spare. 
194 


BEES  AND  PLANTS  195 

This  partnership  has  naturally  modified  the  in- 
sects less  than  the  flowers,  as  the  latter  were  obliged 
to  develop  innumerable  devices  for  winning  attention 
from  their  messengers ;  naturally  also  the  insects  have 
been  more  largely  modified  in  their  mouth-parts 
and  appliances  for  carrying  pollen,  than  in  other 
directions.  Their  habits  have  also  been  modified  in 
a  measure,  and  the  bee  has  in  some  mysterious  way 
been  persuaded  to  work  on  one  kind  of  blossom  at  a 
time.  The  poetic  reproach  that  the  bee  is  a  heart- 
less rover,  rifling  the  lily  of  sweets  only  to  desert  her 
for  the  rose,  is  as  unjust  as  it  is  untrue.  Repeatedly 
have  we  watched  a  bee  at  work  in  a  bed  of  pinks. 
Though  clover  and  other  blossoms  were  near  by, 
she  passed  methodically  from  pink  to  pink,  and 
naught  tempted  her  to  fickleness.  That  the  bees 
use  pollen  for  bread,  is  a  part  of  the  bargain;  for 
the  flowers  grow  it  in  plenty  for  both  themselves  and 
their  partners. 

Each  species  of  "honey-plant"  has  developed  its 
own  special  device  for  securing  the  services  of  bees 
to  carry  its  pollen;  and  no  study  is  more  interesting 
than  the  unravelling  of  these  flower  secrets.  Even 
the  novice  may  do  this  by  asking  the  flower  these 
three  questions:  *' Where  is  your  nectar?"  "Where 
is  your  pollen?"  "What  is  the  path  the  bees  must 
follow  to  get  to  the  nectar?"  For  ready  and 
accurate  answers  to  such  questions,  the  flowers  are 
not  to  be  surpassed ;  and  if  there  is  any  doubtful  point, 
the  bees  are  ready  to  help  elucidate  it.  There  are 
so  many  flowers  that  have  become  the  special  part- 


196  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

ners  of  the  bees  that  it  is  not  within  the  scope  of  this 
book  to  make  an  adequate  list.  Some  of  the  more 
important  are  the  flowers  of  trees,  and  some  of  farm 
crops;  some  bloom  in  gardens  and  some  are  mere 
weeds. 

TREES 

Fruit  trees,  when  in  blossom,  give  much  pollen 
and  honey  at  a  time  when  these  are  greatly  needed 
by  the  bees  for  rearing  brood. 

Peach,  pear,  apricot,  plum  and  especially  apple 
trees,  when  in  bloom  are  encompassed  about  with 
the  happy  chorus  of  busy  and  grateful  bees;  and  no 
other  creatures  can  so  successfully  vocalise  blissful 
contentment  as  they.  Many  careful  experiments 
have  proved  beyond  doubt  that  the  help  of  bees  is 
necessary  for  securing  the  pollenation  requisite  to  pro- 
duce good  crops  of  fruit.  The  wise  and  successful 
fruit-grower  recognises  this  fact  and,  mindful  of  his 
true  interests,  does  not  spray  his  fruit  trees  with 
poisons  while  they  are  in  blossom,  lest  he  thereby 
kill  his  friends,  the  bees.  Moreover,  to  use  arsenical 
sprays,  at  such  a  time,  is  injurious  to  the  petals  and 
the  fruit-producing  organs  of  the  flow^ers;  and  it  is 
also  too  early  to  spray  successfully  against  the 
codlin  moth.  In  many  states,  legislation  forbids 
the  spraying  of  poisons  during  fruit-tree  bloom, 
because  it  is  a  useless  and  wanton  destruction  of  the 
bees. 

Some  time  since  great  injustice  was  done  the  bees 
through  the  accusation  that  they  punctured  the  ripe 


BEES  AND  PLANTS  197 

fruit  for  the  sake  of  the  juices.  This  was  the  special 
complaint  of  grape-growers.  Investigations  have 
proved  that  bees  never  puncture  the  rind  of  ripe 
fruit,  although  they  sometimes  are  tempted  to  sip 
the  oozing  juices,  after  the  rind  is  broken  through 
some  other  agency. 

Even  before  the  fruit-bloom  the  willows  offer  a 
feast  to  break  the  fast  of  the  hungry  swarms.  Half 
the  winter  the  pussy-willow  stands  waiting  in  her 
furs  to  be  ready  with  her  grist  of  pollen,  so  that  the 
bees  may  make  bread  during  the  first  warm  days  of 
spring.  The  willows  burned  their  bridges  behind 
them  eons  ago  and  depend  almost  entirely  upon  the 
bees  for  fertilisation,  since  they  are  dioecious.  Some 
apiarists  have  claimed  that  their  bees  get  no 
nectar  from  certain  species  of  willow;  but  this  could 
hardly  be  so  if  trees  of  both  sexes  were  present  in  a 
locality;  for  the  staminate  flowers  offer  pollen  and 
the  pistillate  flowers  give  nectar  to  induce  the  bees 
to  fetch  and  carry  for  them. 

The  maples  are  not  much  behind  the  willows  in 
offering  the  bees  food  after  their  winter  fast.  The 
bloom  of  the  red  maple  is  regarded  by  most  bee- 
keepers as  permission  from  Spring  to  bring  out  the 
bee-hives  from  the  cellar  and  tenements.  All  our 
common  species  of  maple  are  very  much  visited  by 
the  bees. 

The  locusts  often  yield  large  crops  of  honey, 
although  they  vary  with  the  seasons  in  this  respect. 
Honey-locust,  when  in  bloom,  is  covered  with  bees. 

The  tulip  tree  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  our 


198  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

ornamental  trees  and  it  gives  a  great  amount  of 
dark,  rich  honey.  In  New  York  it  blossoms  in  May 
and  June  and,  like  the  locusts,  is  a  great  help  to  the 
bees  after  the  fruit-bloom  is  over.  This  is  a  common 
tree  in  the  woods  of  the  South  and  is  not  rare  in 
Northern  forests.  It  should  be  planted  even  more 
generally  than  it  is  at  present,  for  the  sake  of  the 
bees. 

The  basswood,  of  all  honey-producing  trees,  is 
the  most  important  and  most  beloved  by  the  bees. 
It  blooms  in  July  and  only  for  a  brief  season;  there- 
fore, it  is  important  that  the  colonies  be  strong  and 
able  to  make  the  most  of  these  few  precious  days  of 
harvest.  Basswood  honey  has  a  strong  flavour 
when  first  gathered.  But  after  it  is  ripened  and 
sealed  it  has  a  delightful  flavour.  The  way  our 
forests  have  been  stripped  of  basswood  during  the 
past  twenty-five  years  is  nothing  less  than  heart- 
rending to  the  bee-keeper;  for  to  him  this  tree  ranks 
next  to  the  white  clover  in  importance.  Mr.  Root 
had  a  single  colony  take  forty-three  pounds  of  honey 
in  three  days  from  basswood,  and  Mr.  Doolittle  had 
a  colony  take  sixty  pounds  in  the  same  period. 
The  tree  is  beautifulp  and  might  well  be  ,used  for 
shade  along  roadsides  and  also  in  ornamental  plant- 
ing. It  grows  rapidly;  young  trees,  transplanted 
from  the  woodland,  blossom  in  five  or  six  years 
thereafter.  No  bee-keeper  should  allow  the  bass- 
wood  to  be  cut  on  his  premises;  and  he  should  grow 
as  many  young  trees  as  possible. 

Other  honey-producing  trees  of  note  are  the  sour- 


Thorn-apple  blossoms. 


Wild  crab-apple  blossoms. 
PLATE   XXVm 


Photographs  by  Ralph  IV.  Curtis 


PLATE   XXIX.       BUCKWHEAT   IN    BLOSSOM 


BEES    AND   PLANTS  199 

wood  {Oxydendrum  arhoreum)  of  the  South,  the 
guajilla  of  Texas,  the  cabbage  palmetto  of  Florida, 
and  the  eucalyptus  of  California. 

The  flowers  of  sumac  often  yield  much  nectar 
and  are  sedulously  worked  by  the  bees.  This 
picturesque  shrub  is  not  properly  appreciated  because 
it  is  so  common.  Its  foliage  is  beautiful  in  the 
summer  and  is  brilliant  in  the  fall.  Its  blossoms, 
as  well  as  its  fruit,  conduce  to  make  it  an  interesting 
and  ornamental  shrub  for  planting. 

HONEY   PLANTS   WHICH   YIELD   OTHER   VALUABLE 
CROPS 

To  raise  plants  solely  for  the  sake  of  the  honey 
they  produce  has  not  proved  a  financial  success  so  far 
in  America.  Mr.  Root  estimates  that  it  would 
require  500  acres  covered  with  plants  blooming  in 
succession  to  keep  100  colonies  of  bees  busy;  and, 
at  present,  most  land  here  is  worth  too  much  to  be 
put  to  such  use.  It  is  doubtful  if  artificial  pasturage 
will  ever  prove  a  paying  investment  in  agricultural 
sections. 

However,  many  apiarists  devote  some  land  to 
honey-gardens,  and  such  a  garden  may  be  a  beau- 
tiful and  interesting  place,  for  many  of  the  honey- 
plants  are  ornamental.  Also,  many  apiarists  have 
introduced  certain  honey-weeds  on  waste  land  in 
the  vicinity  of  their  apiaries  with  excellent  results. 

Fortunately,  many  plants  very  valuable  to  the 
agriculturist  and  horticulturist  are  the  best  honey- 
producers;  and  if  a  farmer  has  only  twenty  colonies 


200  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

of  bees,  it  will  pay  him  to  reap  one  crop  from  his 
land  and  let  his  bees  reap  another. 

Of  all  such  plants  the  clovers  are  the  most  impor- 
tant. Not  only  do  they  make  the  best  of  forage  and 
hay,  but  they  also  help  to  fertilise  and  aerate  the 
soil,  and  should  be  a  factor  in  every  crop  rotation. 
Clovers  and  other  legumes  have  upon  their  roots 
nodules  filled  with  bacteria,  which  are  underground 
partners  of  the  plant.  These  bacteria  fix  the  free 
nitrogen  of' the  air  and  leave  it  in  the  soil  available 
for  plant  food.  Red  clover  is  not  so  great  a  source 
of  honey  as  are  the  other  clovers,  since  its  corolla 
tubes  are  so  long  that  usually  it  is  only  worked  by 
bumblebees.  But  the  long-tongued  Italians  are  able 
to  get  considerable  honey  from  red  clover  at  times. 

Crimson  clover  grew  as  a  weed  for  a  long  time  in 
America  before  it  became  an  important  factor  in 
horticulture.  It  is  an  annual  and  its  home  is  in 
southern  Europe.  It  thrives  best  in  loose,  sandy 
soils  and  is  of  great  value  as  a  cover  crop  for  orchards. 
It  is  a  good  honey-plant. 

Alsike  is  a  perennial  and  grows  in  low  meadows, 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  Idaho.  Its  blossoms  look  like 
that  of  the  white  clover,  except  that  they  are  larger 
and  are  tinged  with  pink.  This  is  a  valuable  clover 
for  pasturage,  and  also  for  hay,  and  it  stands  next 
to  the  white  clover  as  a  honey-plant. 

The  white  clover  is  the  very  best  plant  for  pro- 
ducing honey  in  the  United  States  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  the  flavour  of  its  honey  is  famous 
the  world  over.     While  in  hard  soil,  the  white  clover 


BEES  AND  PLANTS  201 

lasts  only  two  or  three  years,  it  is  perennial  on  rich, 
moist  lands.  It  is  a  cosmopolitan  plant  and  may  be 
found  in  almost  all  regions  of  the  temperate  zones. 
It  is  an  ideal  plant  for  pastures  and  should  be  estab- 
lished everywhere  on  land  not  under  the  plow.  It 
shows  well  its  partnership  with  the  bee  by  turning 
down  its  flowerets  as  soon  as  they  are  fertilised,  and 
leaving  those  in  need  of  pollen  still  erect.  We  have 
seen  a  head  of  white  clover  with  a  single  floweret, 
erect  and  white,  calling  to  the  bees,  while  all  of  its 
sister  flowerets  were  deflected  and  brown. 

Among  the  medics  we  find  the  veteran  of  all 
clovers,  the  alfalfa,  which  has  been  under  cultivation 
for  twenty  centuries,  and  came  to  America  with  the 
Spanish  invasion.  It  was  established  in  California 
in  1854,  and  has  worked  its  way  eastward.  But 
it  is  only  recently  that  it  has  been  practicable  to 
grow  it  in  the  East.  This  has  been  made  possible 
by  the  discovery  that  it  will  grow  on  soil  inoculated 
with  its  root  bacteria.  Alfalfa  is  a  true  perennial  and 
may  be  cut  for  hay  three  times  a  season,  and  is  of 
highest  value  as  fodder  or  forage.  It  is  a  superb 
honey-plant,  furnishing  great  quantities  of  light- 
coloured  and  excellent  honey.  It  will  support  more 
bees  to  the  acre  than  any  other  plant  known.  For 
artificial  pasturage  it  is  the  most  promising  of  all 
honey-plants. 

Buckwheat  is,  in  many  localities,  doubly  profitable 
as  a  grain  and  as  a  honey-plant ;  especially  is  it  so  in 
middle  and  western  New  York,  where  the  hills  in 
autumn  are  made  brilliant  with  great  fields  of  the 


202  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

wine-red  stubble.  Buckwheat  is  usually  sown  late 
in  the  season,  often  on  ground  where  oats  have  al- 
ready been  grown  earlier  in  the  year.  It  blossoms 
in  August  and  even  in  September,  and  furnishes  a 
wealth  of  nectar  when  there  is  little  to  be  found  else- 
where. The  honey  made  from  buckwheat  is  dark, 
reddish  brown  and  brings  a  lower  price  in  most 
markets  than  do  the  lighter-coloured  varieties. 
Though  it  is  strong  in  flavour,  it  is  preferred  by 
many,  and  on  our  table  it  alternates  with  basswood 
and  clover.  It  has  always  seemed  poetic  justice 
that  the  plant  which  produces  buckwheat  cakes 
should  produce  the  honey  to  eat  with  them.  The 
following  are  the  good  points  of  buckwheat  as  a 
crop:  It  is  profitable,  the  grain  always  brings  a 
good  price;  it  grows  well  on  poor  soil;  it  is  one  of  the 
best  agencies  for  ridding  a  field  of  weeds.  There  is 
a  certain  gameness  about  buckwheat  which  we  have 
always  admired  and  which  was  thus  characterised 
by  a  farmer  of  our  acquaintance:  ** Buckwheat  is  a 
gritty  plant ;  if  it  can  get  its  head  above  ground  it  will 
blossom.  I  have  seen  it,  during  dry  seasons,  blossom 
when  its  stalks  were  so  short  that  the  bees  had  to  get 
down  on  their  hands  and  knees  to  gather  the  honey. ^' 
While  this  may  be  putting  the  case  rather  strongly, 
yet  it  expresses  well  the  habits  of  the  plant. 

Black  mustard,  rape  and  turnips  all  furnish  nectar 
for  excellent  honey.  The  seed  of  mustard  and  rape 
brings  a  good  price,  and  the  root  of  the  turnip  is 
always  valuable. 

The  blossoms  of  the  red  raspberry  yield  a  delicious 


BEES  AND  PLANTS  203 

honey,  and  the  grower  of  small  fruits  may  well  add 
bees  to  his  farm  as  a  source  of  profit. 

GARDEN   FLOWERS 

Most  of  the  blooms  in  flower  gardens,  as  well  as 
vegetable  gardens,  are  worked  by  the  bees.  Mignon- 
ette is  a  valuable  honey-plant,  as  it  blossoms  for  a 
long  time.  Marjoram,  thyme  and  sage  give  rich, 
spicy  honey.  The  sunflower  is  also  a  good  honey- 
plant. 

WILD   FLOWERS   AND   WEEDS 

We  shall  never  forget  our  profound  amazement 
when  we  saw,  for  the  first  time,  in  a  narrow  valley 
of  the  Mojave  Desert  a  great  city  of  white  bee-hives. 
Nothing  in  that  desolate  landscape  could  we  discern 
that  bore  the  slightest  resemblance  to  a  honey-plant. 
The  gray  sage-brush  which  grew  everywhere  looked 
to  us  about  as  promising  for  honey-production  as  so 
much  slag  from  a  furnace;  and  yet  this  sage-brush 
of  the  desert  gives  the  bees  the  best  of  pasturage. 
The  bloom  begins  down  in  the  valley  and  climbs  the 
mountain  side  slowly,  thus  giving  bloom  for  a  long 
period. 

There  are  two  species  of  sage  that  yield  honey,  the 
white  and  the  black,  or  button  sage.  They  are 
allied  to  the  mints,  which  are  generally  good  honey- 
plants.  We  learned  to  care  much  for  the  spicy 
sage-honey.  A  professor  of  Greek,  who  was  for 
some  time  in  the  American  school  at  Athens,  tells 
us  that  the  sage-honey  is  very  similar  in  flavour  to 


204  HOW  TO  KEEP   BEES 

the  famous  honey  of  Hymettus,  which  is  made  from 
thyme. 

The  horse-mint  is  a  very  important  honey-plant 
of  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley  and  of  Texas.  Its 
corolla  tubes  are  so  long  that  only  the  Italians  and 
other  long-tongued  bees  can  get  its  honey.  Catnip, 
motherwort  and  gill-over-the-ground  and  gall-berry 
all  furnish  an  abundance  of  nectar. 

The  blue  thistle  emigrated  to  Virginia  in  colonial 
times,  and  now  covers  with  a  heavenly  blue  thousands 
of  acres  of  the  desolate,  uncultivated,  red  Virginia 
soil.  It  is  a  great  boon  to  the  bees  of  the  region,  as 
its  blossoms  creep  slowly  up  its  stalks,  thus  affording 
nectar  for  many  weeks.  It  is  related  to  borage, 
which  is  another  good  honey-plant. 

Spider  flower  {Cleome  fungens),  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain bee-plant  {Cleome  integrijoUa),  and  figwort 
(Scrojularia  venalis)  have  all  been  planted  by  bee- 
keepers in  their  honey-gardens,  because  they  give 
such  a  great  amount  of  honey  per  plant. 

During  September  and  early  October  the  bees 
work  busily  on  the  various  species  of  goldenrod  and 
asters,  and  gather  from  them  a  considerable  amount 
of  honey,  which  is  rich  in  colour  and  taste.  The 
two  common  species  of  Impaiiens  also  give  the  bees 
good  fall  pasturage. 

Fireweed  (Epilobium  angiistijoUum)  comes  wher- 
ever forests  have  been  cleared  and  burned  off.  It 
blooms  late  and  yields  a  fine  quality  of  honey.  The 
unlovely  Spanish  needle  (Coreopsis)  also  gives  much 
honey.     The  milkweed  yields  good  honey,  yet  it 


BEES  AND  PLANTS  205 

overdoes  the  matter  by  loading  the  feet  of  the  bee 
with  its  pollen  sacs,  until  the  poor  messenger  dies  of 
exhaustion  under  the  burden  of  its  message,  or  dies 
a  prisoner  in  the  blossom. 

The  cheerful  and  ubiquitous  dandelion  has  this 
much  in  its  favour,  that  it  is  beloved  by  the  bees  and 
often  gives  them  honey  and  pollen  at  a  time  in  the 
spring  when  they  need  it  for  brood-rearing. 

Of  all  the  weeds  which  will  pay  the  apiarist  to 
establish  in  waste  places,  the  most  profitable  are  the 
mellilots,  or  sweet  clovers,  of  which  there  are  two 
species,  the  white  and  the  yellow.  These  are  most 
beneficent  weeds,  for  they  carry  nitrogen  to  the  soil 
like  other  clovers,  and  they  are  easily  exterminated 
by  cultivation,  so  they  are  not  to  be  feared. 

Sweet  clover  in  blossom  fills  the  atmosphere  of  the 
country  road  with  perfume,  for  it  is  almost  every- 
where a  roadside  weed;  and,  as  might  be  expected, 
it  is  most  attractive  to  the  bees.  While  the  honey 
made  from  it  is  rather  strong  in  flavour,  yet  it  is  of 
good  colour,  and  sells  well.  Wlien  it  is  mixed  with 
the  honey  from  other  flowers,  it  adds  much  to  the 
excellence  of  the  flavour. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
BEE-KEEPERS  AND  BEE-KEEPING 

Most  business  occupations  lead  to  rivalry  and  all 
the  selfish  emotions  incident  to  competition;  not 
so  is  bee-keeping;  quite  the  opposite,  indeed,  as 
there  is  a  freemasonry  that  holds  bee-keepers  to- 
gether and  renders  their  attitude  toward  each  other 
friendly  and  helpful.  Bee-keeping  is  everyrv^here  a 
bond  of  brotherhood  and  a  sign  of  congenial  tastes. 
One  night  at  a  dinner-party  the  gentleman  on  my 
right  was  a  stranger,  known  to  me  only  by  reputation 
as  a  lawyer  of  high  standing  and  great  erudition. 
He  was  reserved  and  silent,  and  evidently  bored  by 
the  trivialities  of  table-talk.  Some  one  incidentally 
spoke  of  our  bees,  when  the  face  of  my  neighbour 
became  illumined  with  interest,  and  he  said,  ''I  am 
sure  that  by  becoming  a  lawyer  I  spoiled  a  good  bee- 
keeper. I  have  never  found  anything  else  so  inter- 
esting as  bee-keeping;"  and  thus  was  swept  away 
the  curtain  of  cold  conventionalism  which  had  hung 
between  us,  and  we  began,  from  that  moment,  to  be 
friends. 

Nowhere  is  this  brotherly  interest  more  noticeable 

than  in  the  bee-books  and  the  bee-journals.     The 

former  bear  evidence,  on  every  page,  of  kindness  and 

courtesy  to  all ;  while  the  latter  are  like  friendly  cor- 

206 


BEE-KEEPERS  AND  BEE-KEEPING    20? 

respondence  published,  wherein  John  Smith  of 
Maine  explains  his  views  on  the  bee  business  to 
Timothy  Jones  of  Oregon,  and  incidentally  sends 
his  kindest  regards  to  the  family. 

I  never  take  into  my  hands  that  delightful  book, 
"A  B  C  of  Bee  Culture,"  without  turning  to  the 
biographies  of  noted  bee-keepers,  and  looking  again 
at  the  faces  there  depicted,  noting  the  noble  forehead 
of  Huber;  the  keen,  scholarly  face  of  Dzierzon;  the 
judicial  countenance  of  Friend  Quinby  and  the 
beautiful  expression  of  the  venerable  Langstroth. 
And  thus  on,  page  by  page,  and  getting,  by  the  way, 
a  friendly  greeting  from  the  kindly  eyes  of  Professor 
Cook,  that  most  excellent  of  good  teachers;  and 
finally  deriving  sincere  satisfaction  from  a  long  look 
at  the  keen,  humorous  face  of  Mr.  A.  I.  Root  himself. 
These  leaders  in  apiculture  are  men  with  whom  one 
is  proud  to  be  associated.  And  the  fact  that  there 
are,  in  the  United  States,  300,000  persons  engaged  in 
bee-keeping,  makes  one  hopeful  that  our  republican 
institutions  are  to  be  guarded  by  intelligent  citizen- 
ship. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  knowledge  of  bees  has 
been  given  to  the  world  by  men  who  have  attained 
the  high  peaks  of  scientific  fame.  Such  knowledge 
began  with  Aristotle  and  Pliny  in  ancient  times,  and 
received  no  additions  during  the  uncertain  Dark 
Ages.  It  began  anew  with  Swammerdam,  in  the 
seventeenth  century,  was  augmented  by  Linnseus, 
De  Geer,  Reaumur,  Bonnet,  Lyonnet,  Fabricius, 
Latreille,  Lamarck,  and  finally  reached  a  climax  in 


208  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

the  study  of  the  habits  of  the  bee  by  the  blind  Huber, 
who  was  born  in  Geneva  in  1750.  His  observations 
made  with  his  own  brain,  but  with  the  eyes  of  his 
wife,  niece  and  servant,  form  a  classic  in  bee- 
literature.  In  1811  there  were  born,  a  continent 
apart,  two  great  bee-keepers:  Langstroth  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  Dzierzon  in  Silesia.  Both  were  clergy- 
men, but  were  also  true  scientists,  and  both  invented 
means  by  which  the  combs  could  be  moved  and 
examined.  Langstroth  carried  his  invention  farther, 
and  in  1852  devised  the  movable  frame  which  revolu- 
tionised bee-keeping. 

Up  to  this  time  the  business  of  the  bee-man  was 
largely  guess-work.  He  did  not  know  anything 
about  the  condition  of  his  bees  in  the  hive,  for 
he  had  no  way  of  penetrating  that  dark  chamber. 
The  ways  of  reaping  the  honey-harvest  were  devious ; 
at  best  the  combs  were  torn  from  the  hives  with 
little  regard  for  the  rights  and  lives  of  the  bees. 
Finally,  there  was  devised  the  truly  infernal  plan  of 
killing  the  bees  with  the  fumes  of  burning  brimstone, 
before  taking  their  treasure;  this  method  undoubtedly 
originating  in  the  turgid  theology  of  the  times. 

However,  about  the  time  of  Langstroth,  someone, 
or  perhaps  many,  had  discovered  that  bees  stored 
their  honey  in  the  upper  part  of  the  hive;  and  the  old 
box-hive  had  a  few  auger-holes  in  the  top,  over 
which  was  inverted  a  box,  which  the  bees  usually 
filled,  and  thus  saved  themselves  from  the  brimstone 
pit.  We  remember  well  the  delight  in  our  family 
when  we  used,  for  the  first  time,  such  boxes  with  glass 


BEE-KEEPERS  AND  BEE-KEEPING    209 

sides;  and  as  we  saw  they  were  being  filled  with 
combs,  we  rejoiced  that  we  need  not  "take  up*'  any 
more  swarms,  as  the  suffocation  by  sulphur  fumes 
was  termed. 

When,  to  the  invention  of  the  box  super,  was 
added  the  greater  invention  of  Langstroth,  and 
finally  thereunto  was  added  the  invention  of  the 
honey-extractor,  bee-keeping  became  a  science, 
instead  of  a  haphazard  avocation. 

Bee-keeping  in  America  has  since  then  passed 
through  many  phases  and  survived  many  experi- 
ments. Our  bee-keepers  have  been  wide  awake  and 
willing  to  try  all  things  and  hold  fast  to  the  good. 
Once,  having  read  of  the  floating  apiaries  of  the  Nile, 
which  follow  the  flower  bloom  along  the  banks,  an 
enthusiast  tried  the  same  scheme  on  the  Mississippi 
River,  starting  at  the  southern  part  early  in  the 
season  and  coming  north  abreast  of  the  spring; 
but  too  many  bees  were  left  behind  to  make  this 
profitable.  Another  enterprising  gentleman  took 
his  bees  south  winters,  but  the  cost  of  transportation 
took  away  the  profits.  Now,  however,  another  plan 
for  gaining  pasturage  is  proving  most  successful; 
i.  e.y  the  establishment  of  out-apiaries.  As  seventy- 
five  or  a  hundred  colonies  will  usually  take  all  the 
nectar  of  a  given  locality,  the  bee-keeper  places  his 
surplus  colonies  in  other  apiaries  far  enough  distant, 
so  there  is  good  pasturage  for  all.  Mr.  A.  L.  Cogg- 
shall  has  about  3,000  colonies  in  out-apiaries  in  cen- 
tral New  York. 

The    up-to-date    bee-keeper    is    not    merely  an 


210  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

operator  in  his  apiary,  but  a  co-operator  with  his 
bees,  and  we  firmly  believe  that  the  bees  are  being 
educated  by  the  partnership,  as  well  as  the  bee- 
keeper. Bees  certainly  do  learn  by  experience,  as 
is  well  instanced  by  some  Cyprians,  which,  in  their 
native  home,  build  columns  of  wax  and  propolis  at 
the  hive-entrance  to  keep  out  the  large  death's- 
head  moth  which  preys  upon  them.  After  living 
in  this  country  for  two  years,  the  bees  discovered 
that  there  were  none  of  these  moths  about,  and  so 
ceased  building  these  bars.  The  readiness  with 
which  our  bees  use  the  comb-foundation  and  fit 
their  combs  to  the  frames  and  follow  the  hint  given  by 
the  starters  in  the  sections,  all  point  to  their  adapta- 
bility; and  however  others  may  regard  the  matter,  we 
never  take  off  a  section  filled  with  just  one  pound  of 
pearly  comb  and  amber  honey  that  we  do  not  pay 
tribute  to  the  bee  intelligence  which  placed  it  there, 
and  regard  the  little  artisans  as  true  partners  in  our 
enterprise.  And  we  never  doubt  that  in  the  future 
this  co-operation  and  co-education  of  bees  and  bee- 
keepers will  result  in  a  perfection  of  honey-produc- 
tion as  yet  undreamed. 


Photograph  by  Ralph  IV.  Cui-tis 

PLATE   XXX.     BOX-ELDER 

Staminate  and  pistillate  flowers.     This  and  the  other  maples  and  the  willows  give 
the  bees  pasturage  in  early  Spring. 


CHAPTER  XX 
BEE-HUNTING 

The  mere  mention  of  these  words  always  brings 
to  us  memories  of  high  hills,  wound  about  by 
picturesque  roads,  bordered  by  rail  fences,  from  the 
corners  of  which  the  goldenrod  still  flung  its  banners 
to  the  breeze,  though  September  and,  mayhap, 
frosts  had  come.  Beyond  the  fences  were  knolly 
pastures,  cropped  close  except  where  the  mullein, 
the  thistle  and  the  immortelle  vaunted  their  immunity 
from  the  attacks  of  grazing  herds;  and  still  beyond 
were  upland  meadows,  green  with  second-crop 
clover;  and  crowning  all  were  forests  beginning  to 
glow  with  autumnal  hues.  Forth  into  such  roads, 
pastures,  meadows  and  woodlands  were  we  wont  to 
fare  of  a  sunny  morning,  to  hunt  bees  with  our 
father,  whose  woodcraft  was  not  the  empty  accom- 
plishment of  the  man  of  this  generation,  but  was 
attained  on  those  same  hills  of  western  New  York 
when  he  was  a  pioneer  boy,  and  the  deer  and  the 
wolves  roamed  those  forests,  and  the  beavers  built 
their  dams  in  the  valley. 

Our  equipment  for  hunting  was  a  bottle  of  diluted 

honey;  a  box  with  a  sliding  glass  cover,  containing 

pieces  of  empty  comb;  and  a  sharp  stake,  four  feet 

high,  topped  with  a  cross-piece  on  which  to  set  the 

211 


212  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

box.  'WTien  we  were  far  enough  afield,  some  un- 
wary bee  was  lifted  from  its  goldenrod  revel  and 
imprisoned  in  the  box,  where  one  of  the  empty 
combs  had  been  filled  from  the  bottle  for  her  special 
delectation.  Like  a  worthy  bee,  she  began  to  fill 
at  once;  meanwhile,  the  stake  was  pushed  into  the 
ground  and  the  box  placed  upon  it,  the  cover  re- 
moved, and  we  all  retired  for  a  little  distance  to 
watch.  WTien  the  bee  finally  lifted  herself  and  our 
honey  into  the  air,  we  gave  her  closest  attention.  To 
make  sure  of  the  exact  position  of  her  bonanza,  she 
always  arose  in  a  spiral,  each  circle  being  larger  than 
the  one  before,  and  finally  turned  the  spiral  in  a 
certain  direction.  When  she  suddenly  darted  away 
with  almost  the  speed  of  a  bullet,  it  was  always  the 
eyes  of  our  father,  blue  as  the  sky  against  which  the 
bee  was  outlined,  that  detected  her  direction;  for 
young  eyes,  however  keen,  counted  little  against 
trained  eyes  in  this  competition. 

Then  there  always  followed  a  time  of  anxious 
waiting  for  the  return  of  the  bee.  Meanwhile  we 
stretched  out  on  the  dry  sod  in  the  sun  and  listened 
to  the  chirping  of  the  crickets,  or  the  sweet  notes  of 
the  meadow  larks  and  idly  watched  a  hawk  circle 
on  even  pinions  above  our  heads ;  or  we  told  stories 
of  other  days  of  successful  bee-hunting.  If  the  bee 
returned  within  fifteen  minutes,  all  was  well  and  we 
were  confident  that  the  tree  was  distant  not  much 
more  than  a  mile.  But  if  we  had  to  wait  a  half  hour 
we  usually  caught  other  bees  and  started  over  again, 
hoping  to   find  some  nearer  colony.     If  our  first 


BEE-HUNTING  213 

visitor  came  back  soon,  and  especially  if  she  was 
followed  by  her  anxious  sisters,  we  were  satisfied. 
With  several  bees  flying  in  the  same  direction,  it  was 
always  easy  to  get  the  ''line,"  which  we  marked  by 
some  peculiar  tree  or  other  noticeable  object  in 
the  landscape.  When  several  of  our  visitors  were 
eagerly  filling  themselves  with  honey,  the  cover  was 
shoved  over  them  and  they  were  carried  for  a  distance 
along  the  line  and  then  liberated,  and  the  line  from 
this  new  location  ascertained.  Thus  were  they 
followed,  up  hill  and  down  dale,  and  even  through 
woodlands;  finally,  we  would  come  to  a  place  in  a 
forest  where  we  could  follow  the  line  no  farther, 
and  then  w^e  took  our  first  lesson  in  geometry  by 
getting  a  cross-line.  This  was  done  by  carrying  some 
of  the  bees  in  the  box  for  some  rods  to  the  right  or 
left;  and  when  they  were  established  there  we  knew 
that  at  the  apex  of  the  angle  made  by  the  two  inter- 
secting lines  stood  the  bee-tree. 

The  triumph  which  filled  us  when  we  finally  dis- 
covered that  stream  of  black  particles  entering  some 
knothole  or  the  broken  top  of  a  tree,  made  us  breath- 
less; and  all  the  way  home  we  tried  to  temper  our 
excitement  so  as  to  make  the  announcement  of  our 
discovery  with  a  nonchalance  characteristic  of  in- 
variably successful  hunters. 

However,  we  were  by  no  means  always  successful. 
Sometimes  it  would  be  too  late  in  the  day  before 
we  established  a  line;  and  again  a  line  would  lead 
us  in  a  disgusting  fashion  to  some  unsuspected 
apiary;    and  now  and  then  in  a  woodland  tangle 


214  HOW  TO  KEEP  BEES 

we  crossed  and  crisscrossed  lines,  nearly  breaking 
our  necks  gazing  into  tree-tops,  all  to  no  avail. 
Then,  too,  even  our  victory  might  be  tempered  by 
conditions.  If  the  bee-tree  were  small,  we  judged 
it  contained  little  honey;  if  the  tree  were  valuable,  we 
doubted  if  the  owner  would  allow  it  to  be  cut.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  we  seldom  cut  a  bee-tree;  and  when 
we  did,  we  wrested  from  it  a  combination  of  rotten 
wood,  bee-bread,  crushed  brood  and  bees  that  made 
a  potpourri  which  would  prove  disastrous  to  the 
enfeebled  stomachs  of  this  generation.  But,  though 
we  rarely  cut  a  bee-tree,  bee-hunting  lost  none  of  its 
fascination.  For  what  could  be  more  delightful 
than  long  days  spent  in  the  autumn  sunshine,  en- 
livened by  an  occupation  vitally  interesting  that  needs 
must  be  lazily  carried  on!  So  we  never  gave  it  up 
until  the  October  frosts  had  killed  all  the  flowers, 
and  the  fumes  of  the  honey-comb  that  we  burned 
failed  to  entice  an  enterprising  bee  from  her  winter 
quarters  to  our  box. 


APPENDIX 

BEE  BOOKS 

The  bibliography  of  bee  literature  is  extensive.  Scientists 
of  all  nations  have  contributed  the  results  of  their  investi- 
gations on  bee  anatomy  and  bee  physiology,  and  have  made 
bee  literature,  as  a  whole,  most  profound  and  technical 
reading.  However,  there  are  among  these  books  many 
that  were  written  for  popular  audiences,  and  that  deal  with 
the  practical  side  of  bee-keeping;  of  such  we  add  a  few 
titles  of  those  best  known  and  of  special  excellence. 

Benton,  Frank.  "The  Honey  Bee."  Mr.  Benton,  who 
is  our  national  expert  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
at  Washington,  always  writes  practically,  and  has  carried 
on  experiments  with  races  of  bees,  which  the  private 
bee-keeper  could  hardly  afford  to  make.  The  enter- 
prising bee-keeper  should  keep  in  close  touch  with  Mr. 
Benton's  bulletins. 

Cheshire,  Frank  R.  Two  volumes.  This  is  one  of  the 
finest  works  that  has  ever  been  published  upon  the 
honey-bee  and  bee-keeping.  It  is  delightfully  written 
and  has  many  fine  illustrations. 

Cook,  Professor  Albert  J.  "The  Bee-keeper's  Guide 
or  Manual  of  the  Apiary."  This  is  the  most  extensive 
of  all  the  bee-keeping  manuals  written  for  American 
bee-keepers.  It  deals  with  all  phases  of  the  subject 
minutely,  and  new  editions  are  published  frequently 
enough  to  keep  the  book  up-to-date.  Professor  Cook 
has  a  wide  reputation  as  a  most  excellent  teacher, 
and  bee-keeping  is  one  of  the  subjects  which  he  taught 
for  years  in  the  Agricultural  College  of  Michigan. 

CowEN,  T.  W.  "The  Honey-bee,  Its  Natural  History, 
Anatomy  and  Physiology." 

215 


216  APFENDIX— Continued 

CowEN,  T.  W.  "Bee-Keeper's  Guide  Books."  The  first 
of  these  Httle  volumes  is  a  clear  and  excellent  account 
of  the  anatomy  of  the  bee.  The  second  is  a  concise 
and  helpful  book  on  the  methods  of  bee-keeping  as 
practiced  in  England. 

HuBER,  Franz.  "Nouvellea  Observations  sur  les  Abe- 
illes,"  published  in  1792.  English  translation  in  1841. 
This  classic  in  bee  literature  is  one  of  the  most  delightful 
of  all  the  bee  books  that  have  been  written.  It  shows 
the  careful  methods  of  this  blind  scientist  who  has 
given  us  more  of  the  understanding  of  the  bee  and  its 
life  than  any  other  investigator  or  writer. 

Hutchinson,  W.  Z.     "Advanced   Bee   Culture." 

Hutchinson,  W.  Z.  "Comb  Honey."  Mr.  Hutchinson 
is  one  of  our  most  successful  bee-keepers,  and  he  writes 
clearly  and  understandingly  of  his  methods. 

Langstroth,  L.  L.  "The  Hive  and  Honey-Bee."  This 
classic  in  American  apiculture  has  been  revised  and 
kept  up-to-date  by  the  scholarly  Dadants',  father  and 
son,  who  are  well  known  on  two  continents  as  success- 
ful bee-keepers.  This  book  written  by  the  father  of 
American  apiculture  is  comprehensive,  and  is  good 
literature  as  well  as  good  bee-keeping. 

Lubbock,  Sir  John.  "Ants,  Bees  and  Wasps."  Al- 
though this  is  a  book  of  scientific  experiments,  it  should 
be  read  by  every  bee-keeper.  No  other  book  tells 
so  well  the  patience  and  ingenuity  necessary  to 
discover  what  the  bee  knows  and  why  it  does  certain 
things. 

Maeterlinck,  Maurice.  "The  Life  of  the  Bee."  This 
exquisite  piece  of  literature  and  social  philosophy  has 
attracted  much  attention,  and  has  introduced  the 
world  at  large  to  the  wonderful  life  of  the  honey-bee 
in  such  a  poetic  and  dramatic  manner,  that  most  people 
have  regarded  it  as  a  work  of  fiction.  Maeterlinck 
is  said  to  be  a  practical  apiarist,  and  his  book  is  based 
upon  the  facts  of  bee  life  as  he  understood  them  at  the 
time  the  book  was  written.  Though  some  of  his  facts 
be  questioned,  yet  probably  his  statements  are  no 
more  doubtful  than  would  be  those  of  almost  any  bee- 
keeper should  he  try  to  write  what  he  thinks  he  knows 


APFEl<imX— Concluded  217 

about  bees.     Maeterlinck  is  the  Homer  of  the  bees  and, 
therefore,  he  has  a  right  to  poetic  hcense. 

Miller,  Dr.  C.  C.  "Forty  Years  Among  the  Bees."  This 
is  a  simply  told  history  of  the  experiences  of  a  success- 
ful bee  man.  It  is  a  most  honest  and  often  a  humorous 
record  of  bee-keepers'  successes  and  failures. 

MoRLEY,  Margaret.     "The  Bee  People." 

MoRLEY,  Margaret.  "The  Honey-Makers."  The  fir^t 
of  these  books  is  written  charmingly  and  simply  for 
children  and  covers  in  an  interesting  manner  the  life 
of  the  bee.  "The  Honey-Makers"  gives  a  most 
extended  account  of  the  relation  of  bees  to  men,  giving 
extensive  quotations  from  Hindu,  Egyptian,  Greek  and 
Italian  literatures  and  also  a  most  interesting  chapter  on 
the  curious  superstitions  and  customs  regarding  the 
honey-bee. 

QuiNBY,  Moses.  "Mysteries  of  Bee-Keeping,"  revised  by 
L.  C.  Root  and  now  called,  "Quinby's  New  Bee  Book." 
This  is  a  simple,  straightforward  account  of  a  practical 
man's  dealings  with  bees. 

Root,  A.  I.  "ABC  of  Bee  Culture."  The  author  may 
be  pardoned  if  she  speaks  with  special  enthusiasm  of 
this  book,  as  Mr.  Root  was  the  special  teacher  that 
helped  the  Comstock  apiary  achieve  success.  The 
interesting  and  truly  human  way  that  Mr.  Root  refers 
to  bees  is  not  only  inspiring,  but  is  also  most  practically 
helpful.  The  "ABC  of  Bee  Culture"  is  arranged 
conveniently,  encyclopedia  fashion,  so  that  the  dis- 
cussion of  any  subject  in  it  may  be  readily  found. 
Every  page  of  it  is  interesting,  and  is  based  upon  the 
actual  experience  of  a  man  who  is  at  once  a  keen  observer, 
a  sympathetic  friend  to  the  bees,  and  a  most  successful 
apiarist. 


INDEX 


ABC  of  Bee  Culture,  207. 
Abdomen,  187. 

After-swarms  led  by  virgin  queen, 
81. 

prevention  of,  81. 

reason  of  and  remedy  for,  79,  81. 
Alder,  154. 
Alfalfa,  201. 
Alighting  board,  15. 
Alimentary  canal,  187,  191,  Plates 

XXV.,  XXVI. 
Alley's  queen  and  drone  trap,  12. 
Alsike,  200. 
Anatomy,  external,  181,  Plate  XXV. 

internal,  187,  Plate  XXVI. 
Antenna  cleaner,  186,  Plate  VIL 
Antennas,  183,  Plate  VII. 
Ants,  27. 
Apiaries,  floating,  209. 

out,  209. 
Apiary,  high  fence  for,  in  city,  23. 

in  village  garden,  22. 

location  and  arrangement  of,  20. 

mowing  the,  23. 

old-fashioned,  Plate  XXVII. 

old  orchard  good  place  for,  20. 

on  city  house  tops,  22. 

sheep  in,  23. 

windbreak  for,  22. 
Apparatus    for    extracting,    Plate 

xvm. 

Apple,  196. 

Apple  blossoms,  Plate  XVll. 

Apricot,  196. 

Aristotle,  172,  207. 

Artificial  pasturage,  199. 


Bacillus  alveu  176. 
Balling  of  queen,  32,  158. 
Basswood,  198. 

blossoms,  frontispiece. 
Bee,  anatomy  of,  18 1. 

books,  206. 

brush,  Plate  III. 

Brush,  Dixie,  19. 

brush,  use  of,  loi. 

cellars,  for  wintering,  the  Bing- 
ham, 151. 

gloves,  II,  17. 

glue,  its  source,  60,  61. 

glue    made    from    varnish    and 
cement,  61. 

glue,  various  uses  of,  62. 

house-keepers,  34. 

how  she  gathers  pollen,  59. 

how  she  collects  propolis,  62. 

ingratitude,  44. 

journals,  206. 

moth,  172. 

moth,  development  of,  173. 

moth,  how  to  detect,  173. 

moth,  maxims,  176. 

moth,  remedy  for,  174. 

tent,  102,  168. 

tree,  214. 

veil,  II,  16. 

worker,  59. 

worker,  brains  of,  40. 

worker — life  and  habits  of,  42, 43, 

worker,  sex  of,  39. 
Bee-bread,  59. 

as   food,   60. 

in  cells,  98. 


220 


INJ^EK— Continued 


Bee-escape,  Plate  III. 

Porter,  i8. 

Porter,  use  of,  loi. 
Bee-gum,  83. 
Bee-hunting,  211. 
Bee-keepers,  206. 

books  written  by,  9. 

number  of,  207. 
Bee-keepers'     supplies,     catalogue 

of,  10. 
Bee-keeping,  206. 

a  beginner's  order,  11. 

as  a  regular  business,  10. 

attractive  materials  of,  85. 

how  to  begin,  8. 

too  successful,  73. 

worst  way  to  begin,  10. 
Bees,  as  a  recreation,  5. 

as  socialists,  6. 

a  study  in  natural  science,  6. 

belong  to  the  garden,  7. 

control  population,  34. 

diseases  of,  176. 

enemies  and  diseases  of,  172. 

feeding  of,  136. 

German  or  black,  12,  47. 

how  they  collect  propolis,  60,  61. 

how  they  secrete  wax,  52. 

how  to  handle  them,  91. 

how  to  keep  from  keeping  too 
many,  73. 

how    to    manage   when    swarm- 
ing,  66. 

how  to  reconcile  swarm  to  new 
hive,  70. 

how  to  unite  colonies,  82. 

how  to  winter,  145. 

how  to  work  with,  92. 

hybrids,  48. 

Italian,  12,  13. 

Italian    and     black     bees    com- 
pared, 48. 

Italian,  Mr.  Root's  test  for,  48. 

keep  for  sake  of  honey,  4. 

keep  for  sake  of  money,  4. 

legends  and  literature  of,  3. 


Bees — Continued 

races  of,  12. 

races  of  domestic,  47. 

reasons  why  one  should  keep,  3. 

relations  to  plants,  194. 

robbing,  164. 

secreting  wax,  Plate  X. 

sense  of  smell,  92. 

swarming  of,  64. 

telling  the,  61. 

watering,  143. 

when  they  swarm,  65. 

why  they  swarm,  64. 

wild,  47. 
Beeswax,  adulterated,   126,  134. 

clarified  by  vinegar,  128. 

how  to  make  it,  126. 

its  value,  126. 

maxims  for  making,  135. 

press,  132. 

primitive   method   of   rendering, 

I2J. 

refining  of,  134. 

rendered  in  wash  boiler,  129. 
Beeswax-extractors,  130. 
Black  brood,  179. 
Blue  thistle,  204. 

Boardman  wax  extractor,  130,  131. 
Body  wall,  181,  Plate  XXV. 
Bonnet,  207. 
Borage,  204. 
Bottom  board,  83. 
Box  elder  in  blossom,  Plate  XXX. 
Box  hives,  83,  208. 
Brain,  188,  Plate  XXV. 
Brimstoning  bees,  208. 
Brood,  black,  179. 

foul,  176. 

foundation,  17. 

how  to  examine,  97. 

pickled,  179. 
Brood  chamber,  83. 

how  to  examine,  95. 

size  of,  14. 
Brood     frame,     Langstroth,     how 
much  honey  it  will  hold,  146. 


INDEX— Continued 


221 


Brood  frames,  examining  of,  Plate 

xin. 

how  to  lift  out,  96. 
Brushing  or  shaking-out  method  to 

control  swarming,  77, 
Buckwheat,  201. 

Buckwheat  in  blossom,  Plate  XXIX'. 
Cabbage  palmetto,  199. 
Cages,  queen,  160,  161. 
Candy   for  feeding   bees,  how   to 
make,  141. 

Good,  141,  161. 
Cans  for  shipping  extracted  honey 

in  bulk,  123. 
Carniolan  bees,  47. 
Carton  for  comb-honey,  106,  113. 
Catnip,  204. 
Cell  of  queen,  29. 
Cellars  for  wintering  bees,  150. 
Cerasin,  wax  adulterant,  134. 
Chaff  hives,  11,  14. 
Chaff    hives    for    wintering,    148, 

Plate  XXn. 
Chyle  food,  36. 

how  regurgitated,  58. 
City  apiary,  22. 
Cleome,  204. 

Clipping  wings  of  queen,  75. 
Clover,  200. 
Cogshall,  209. 
Colonies,  how  to  unite,  82. 
Colony,  queenless,  29. 

queenless,    Mr.    Root's    method 
of   testing,    159,   160. 
Comb  building,  Plate  IX. 

built  by  many  workers,  56. 

drone,  37. 

cell  caps,  construction  of,  56. 

foundation  for  brood  chamber, 8 5. 

how  to  tell  honey  from  brood  in 
capped  cells,  97. 

made  without  pollen,  50. 

making,  described  by  A.  I.  Root, 

53- 
making,    Prof.  V.  L.  Kellogg's 
observation  of,  53. 


mathematics  of,  54. 

placing  in  extractor,  Plate  XIX. 

shape  of,  not  fortuitous,  54. 

strength  of,  56. 

uncapping  of,  Plate  XIX. 
Comb-honey  and  large  hives,  77. 

bee  moth  in,  174,  175. 

candied,  115. 

compared  with  extracted  honey, 
106,  124. 

conditions  for  production  of,  107. 

grading  of,  112. 

how  to  keep,  116. 

how  to  make,  106. 

in  8-frame  hive,  14. 

marketing  of,  114. 

maxims  for  producers  of,  116. 

shipping  of,  113. 

storing  of,  115. 
Combs  for  extracting,  Plate  XVIII. 
Cook,  Prof.  A.  J.,  method  of  uniting 
colonies,  82,  207. 

observation  on  bee  moth,  172. 
Coreopsis,  204. 
Comeil  smoker,  11,  16. 

how  to  use,  93. 
Coxa,  185. 

Crabapple  blossoms,  Plate  XXVUI. 
Crimson  clover,  200. 
Cuticle,  182,  Plate  XXV. 
Cyprians,  47,  210. 

Daisy  foundation  fastener,  11,  17. 

Dandelion,  205. 

De  Geer,  207. 

Details    concerning   honey,    106. 

Development  of  worker,  40. 

Diarrhoea,  prevention  of,  180. 

Diseases  of  bees,  176. 

Division  board,  -what  it  is,  13. 

Division  board  feeder,  Plate  XU. 

Dixie  bee  brush,  12. 

Doolittle  division  board  feeder,  12. 

wax-extractor,  130,  131. 
Drone,  the,  34,  Plate  V. 

appearance  of,  35. 


222 


INBEX— Continued 


Drone — Continued 

ceU  of,  37,  Plate  VHI. 

cells,  how  capped,  97. 

cells,  size  of,  56. 

comb,  37. 

death  of,  35. 

eggs  in  worker  cells,  37, 

flight  of,  36. 

food  of,  36. 

from  unfertilised  egg,  36. 

head  of,  Plate  VI. 

leg  of,  Plate  VTL 

life-history  of,  36. 

killing  of,  38,  39. 

maturity  of,  37. 

physical  characteristics  of,  35,  36. 

reproductive    organs    of,    Plate 
XXVI. 

trap,  19,  Plate  XVI. 

•wedding  flight  of,  38. 
Drones,  great  number  of,  38. 

males,  27. 
Dzierzon,  207,  208. 

Egg,  192. 

queen,  29. 

tubes,  192,  Plate  XXVI. 
Eggs,  unfertilised,  33. 
Egj'ptian  bees,  47. 
Enemies  of  bees,  172. 
Entrance    to    hive,    how    to    con- 
tract, 167. 
Epilohium  angustijoUuniy  204. 
Eucalyptus,  199. 
Extracted  honey  and  large  hives,  77. 

candied,  122,  Plate  XXI. 

care  of,  121. 

compared  with  comb-honey,  106, 
124. 

drawing    from    extractor,    Plate 
XX. 

hive  for,  14. 

how  to  bottle  or  can,  122. 

how  to  produce  it,  117. 

in  glass  jars,  Plate  XXI. 

maxims  for  the  producers  of,  124. 


Extracted  honey — Continued 

packages  for,  123. 
Extracting    room    and    apparatus, 

Plate  X\Tn. 
Extractor,  honey,  invention  of,  117. 
Extractor,  Solar  wax,  130. 
Extractor,  wax,  130. 
Eyes,  compound,  183,  Plate  VI. 

simple,  183,  Plate  VL 

Fabricius,  207. 
Feeder,  Boardman,  138. 

Division  board,  138. 

DooHttle,  19. 

pepper-box,  139. 
Feeders,    Smith,    Hedden,   Miller, 

139- 
Feeding  back,  143. 

bees,  136. 

candy,  140. 

chunk  honey,  140. 

for  honey,  142. 

for  winter,  137. 

how  to  do  it,  138. 

how  to  feed  inside  the  hive,  138. 

how  to  feed  outside  the  hive,  138. 

in  fall,  136. 

in  spring,  136. 

maxims  for,  144. 

rye  flour,  142. 

syrup  in  combs,  140. 

what  to  feed,  137. 
Females  of  social  insects,  27. 
Fence,  Plate  HI. 

between  sections,  88. 
Figwort,  204. 
Fireweed,  204. 
Flowers  of  the  garden,  203. 
Food  of  worker,  40. 
Foul  brood,  176,  179. 

how  to  detect,  177. 

remedy  for,  177. 
Foundation,  brood,    17. 

super,  11.  

Foundation<omb,  126,  Plate  All. 

for  brood  chamber,  85. 


INDEX— Continued 


223 


Foundation-comb — Continued 

for  sections,  how  to  cut,  89. 

how  to  place  in  frame,  85,  86. 

size  of,  86. 
Foundation-fastener,   Daisy,   17. 

Parker,  i8. 

-u-  er,  17. 

for  extracted  honey,  119. 

foundation  for,  84. 
Frames,  Hoffman  brood,  86. 

Hoffman  self-spacing,  84. 

Langstroth  movable,  84. 

self-spacing,  Plate  XII. 

spacing  of,  84. 
Fruit,  not  punctured  by  bees,  196. 
Fruit  trees,  196,  197. 

Gall-berry,  204. 
Galleria  mellonella,  172. 
Garden  flowers,  203. 
German  bees  compared  with  Ital- 
ians, 48. 
German  steam  wax  press,  133. 
Gill-over-the-ground,  204. 
Glands,  189. 

Glands  of  honey  bee,  Plate  XXV. 
Goldenrod,  204. 

Grapes,  not  punctured  by  bees,  197. 
Guagilla,  199. 

Hatch-Gemmill  wax  press,  133. 
Head,  183,  Plate  XXV. 
Heart,  188,  Plate  XXV. 
Hetherington  super  springs,  90. 
Hive,  arrangement  in  apiary,  24. 

cover,  15,  83. 

the  description  of,  14. 

entrance,  how  to  contract,  167. 

essential  parts  of,  83. 

history  of,  83. 

how  to  get  the  cover  off,  95. 

how  to  handle  it,  83. 

how  to  ift  out  the  brood  frames, 
96. 

how  to  open,  92. 

industries  of,  50. 


Hive — Continued 

inhabitants  of,  27. 

Langstroth,  8-frame,  I  o-frame,  14. 

maxims  for  opening,  104. 

one    and    one-half  story,  Plate 
XV. 

the    reasons    why    it    must    be 
opened,  94. 

telescope  cover,  91. 

tenement,  for  wintering,   149, 

to  change  the  location  of,  25. 
Hive-stand,  15,  24. 
Hives,  chaff,  14,  15. 

chaff  for  wintering,   148,  Plate 

xxn. 

Dadant-Quinby,  size  of,  77. 

decoy,  70. 

devices  for  carrying  Into  cellai, 
152. 

double-walled,  21. 

double-walled,  cover  for,  22. 

entrance  toward  south,  25. 

how  to  group,  20,  25. 

large,  for  extracted  honey,  77. 

large  sizes  limit  swarming,  77, 

observation,  103. 

shade  boards  for,  21. 

shaded  by  awning,  21. 

shaded  by  thatched  roof,  21. 

shaded  by  trellis,  21. 

well  shaded,  Plate  IV. 

where  to  put  them,  20. 
Hiving  bees,  Plate  XI. 

maxims  for,  72. 
Holy  Land  bees,  47. 
Honey,  the  amount  produced  in  the 
United  States,  58. 

basswood.  198. 

buckwheat,  202. 

composition  of,  57, 

flowers,  194. 

gardens,  199,  204. 

healthful  food,  58. 

how  produced,  57. 

how  to  take  off  in  supers,  loi, 

house,  25. 


224 


INBEX— Continued 


Honey — Continued 

not  made  in  the  true  stomach  of 
the  bee,  58. 

of  Hymettus,  204. 

the  only  sweet  of  the  ancients,  58. 

plants,  199. 

ripened  in  uncapped  cells,  57. 

ripening  of,  120. 

room,  25. 

sage,  203. 

uncapped,  120. 

uncapping  of,  120. 

unripened  for  extracting,  119. 

•weeds,  199. 

when  to  extract,  119. 

white  clover,  200. 
Honey-extractor,  invention  of,  117. 

principles  of  construction  of,  118. 

use  of,  119. 
Honey-stomach,     57,     191,     Plate 

XXVI. 
Horsemint,  204. 
House  top  for  apiary,  22. 
How  to  clip  the  queen's  wings,  100. 

to    examine    frames     of     brood 
chamber,  95. 

to  find  the  queen,  99. 

to  find  the  queen  cells,  98. 

to  handle  the  bees,  91. 

to  introduce  a  queen,  160,  161. 

to  keep  from  keeping  too  many 
bees,  73. 

to  make  comb-honey,  106. 

to  open  the  hive,  92. 

to  produce  extracted  honey,  117. 

to  rear  queens,  156. 

to  stop  robbing,  167. 

to  take  oflF  honey  in  supers,  loi. 

to  winter  bees,  145. 

to  winter  bees  in  cellars,  150. 
Hruschka,    Major    Francesco    de, 
inventor  of  honey-extractor, 1 1 7. 
Huber,  61,  103,  208. 
Hutchinson,    W.    Z.,    method    of 

treating  after-swarms,  81. 
Hymettus,  honey  of,  204. 


Hypodermis,  182,  Plate  XXV. 

Indian  meal  moth,  175. 
Industries  of  the  hive,  50. 
Inhabitants  of  the  hive,  27. 
Introducing  the  queen,  157, 

by  nucleus  method,  162. 
Interrelation  of    bees  and    plants, 

194. 
Intestine,  191,  Plate  XXVI. 
Italian  bees,  47,  204. 
Italian  worker,  description  of,  47, 

Jars  for  extracted  honey,  123. 

Kellogg,  Prof.  V.  L.,  53,  103,  172. 
Kitchen,  how  bees  rob  the,  165. 

Labium,  184,  Plate  XXV. 

Labrum,  184,  Plate  XXV. 

Lamarck,  207. 

Langstroth,  207,  208. 

Latrielle,  207. 

Laying  worker,  45,  79. 

Leg,  185. 

Legs  of  honey  bee,  Plate  VH. 

Legumes,  200. 

Linnaeus,  207. 

Location  of  hive,  to  mark,  25. 

Locust  blossoms,  Plate  XXXI. 

Locusts,  197, 

Males  of  social  insects,  27. 
Malpighian  tubes,  i  o  i ,  Plate  XXVI. 
Malthusian  practices  of  bees,  34. 
Mandibles,  184,  Plate  XXV. 
Manum  swarm  catcher,  12,  19, 
Maple,  mountain,  Plate  XXIV. 
Maples,  154,  197. 
Marjoram,  203. 
Marketing  comb  honey,  114. 
Mason's  cans  for  extracted  honeyi 

123. 
Maxilla;,  184,  Plate  XXV. 
Maxims  for  beeswax  making,  135. 
for  feeding,  144. 


INDEX — Continued 


225 


Maxims — Continued 

for  hiving  bees,  72. 

for  introducing  queens,  163, 

for  opening  the  hive,  104. 

for  prevention  of  bee  moth,  176. 

for  producers  of  comb  honey,  116. 

for   the    producer   of    extracted 
honey,  124. 

for  wintering,  154. 

to  prevent  robbing,  171. 
McEvoy,    WilUam,    treatment    of 

foul  brood,  177. 
Medics,  201. 
Mellilots,  205. 
Metatarsus,  185. 
Micro  pyle,  192. 
Milkweed,  204. 
Miller,  Dr.,  102,  162. 
Mignonette,  203. 
Motherwort,  204. 
Mouth  parts,  184,  Plate  XXV. 
Muscles,  187,  Plate  XXV. 
Muth  bottles  for  extracted  honey, 
123. 

Nervous  system,  188,  Plate  XXV. 
Nucleus,    method    of    introducing 
queen,  162. 
to  begin  with,  13. 

Observation   hives,    103,   opposite 

frontispiece. 
Ocelli,  183,  Plate  VI. 
(Esophagus,  191,  Plate  XXVI. 
Out-apiaries,  209. 
Ovaries,  192,  Plate  XXVI. 
Oviduct,  192,  Plate  XXVI. 
Oxydendrum  arhoreunty  199. 

Palpi,  185,  Plate  XXV. 

ParafEsse,  wax  adulterant,  134. 
Parker  foundation  fastener,  18. 
Partnership  of  bees  and  plants,  195. 
Peach,  196. 
Pear,  196. 
Pickled  brood,  179, 


Piping  of  queen,  31,  32. 

Planting  for  honey  impractical,  199 

Pliny,  207. 

Plodia  inter punctelJoj  175. 

Plum,  196. 

Plum  blossoms,  Plate  XXIII. 

Points  about  beeswax,  126. 

Poison  glands,  193,  Plate  XXVI. 

Pollen,  59. 

fed  to  drone,  37. 

how  gathered,  59. 

in  cells,  98. 

how  placed  in  cell,  60. 

made  into  bee  bread,  60. 
Pollen-baskets,  59, 186,  Plate  VII. 
Pollen-comb,  Plate  VII. 
Porter  bee-escape,  12,  18. 
Propolis,  how  collected,  62. 

how  to  dissolve,  63. 

its  source,  60,  61. 

made  from  varnish  and  cementi 
61. 

various  uses  of,  62. 
Pussy  willows,  197. 

Queen,  Plate  V. 
armour  of,  30,  31. 
balling  of,  32,  158,  1 59. 
cages,  160,  i6i,  Plate  XVI. 
cages,  the  Miller,  162. 
capacity  for  egg  laying,  28. 
cell,  29,  Plate  V. 
cell,  how  to  find,  98. 
cell,  how  to  cut  out,  98. 
clipping  wings  of,  75. 
development  of,  28. 
duels,  30,  31. 
egg,  29. 
excluder,  78. 
first  flight  of,  32. 
head  of,  Plate  VI. 
her  attendants,  28. 
how  she  lays  eggs,  33,  34. 
how  to  find,  99. 
how  to  handle,  99. 
how  to  introduce,  160. 


226 


INDEX — Continued 


Queen — Continued 

introducing  by  nucleus  method, 
162. 

introducing  cage,  Plate  V. 

introducing  of,  157. 

issues  from  cell,  30. 

larva,  30. 

leg  of,  Plate  VII. 

maxims  for  introducing,   163. 

mother  of  her  subjects,  27, 

piping  of,  31,  32. 

rearing,  156,  157. 

removed  to  prevent  swarming,  79. 

reproductive  organs  of,  30,  Plate 
XXVI. 

selection  of,  27,  28. 

surrounded  by  workers,  99. 

tested,  14. 

trap,  19,  75,  Plate  XIV. 

virgin,   leads     after-swarms,   79, 
80,   81. 

weapons,  30,  31. 

wedding  flight  of,  32. 

when  to  introduce,  159. 
Queen-clipping  device,  100. 
Queen-excluding  honey-board,  use 

of,   108. 
Queenless  colony,  29. 
Queens,  development  of  new,  29. 

females,  27. 
Queen's  wings,  how  to  clip,  100. 
Quinby,  207. 

Rape,  202. 

Rauchfuss  wax-extractor,  130,  131 

Rearing  queens,  156. 

Reaumur,  207. 

Red  clover,  200. 

Red  maple,  197. 

Red  raspberry,  202. 

Reproductive    organs,    191,    Plate 

XXVI. 
Respiratory     system,     188,    Plate 

XXVI. 
Robbing,  borrowing,  170. 

fate  of  the  robbed  colony,  170. 


Robbing — Continued 

how  it  is  done,  166. 

how  to  detect,  167. 

how  to  prevent,  102. 

how  to  stop,  167,  168,  169. 

maxims  to  prevent,  171. 

the  result  of,  164. 

slow,  170. 

when  it  is  likely  to  happeiij  165. 

why,  164. 
Rocky  Mountain  bee  plant,  204. 
Root,  207. 

treatment  of  foul  brood,  177. 

views  about  smoking  bees,  93. 
Royal  jelly,  29. 
Rye  flour  for  feeding,  142. 

Sage,  white,  203. 

Sage,  black  or  button,  203. 

Scrojularia  venalis,  204. 

Section  glazed  for  comb-honey,  106. 

holder,  Plate  XTV. 

holders,  88. 

of  honey,  Plate  XIV. 
Section-boxes,  88,  Plates  11.,  III., 
X[V. 

no  bee-way,  88. 

with  bee-ways,  88. 
Sections,  11,  17. 

fence  between,  88. 

foundation-comb  for,  89. 

how  to  put  together,  89. 

how  to  take  off,  no. 

no  bee-way,  16. 

scraping  of,  112. 

stained,   in. 

unfinished,  no. 
Sense  hairs,  Plate  VIE. 
Sense  organs,  183. 
Sense  pits,  Plate  VII. 
Shade  for  hives,  21. 
Sheep  in  apiary,  23. 
Shipping-cases  for  comb-honey,  113. 
Skeleton,    181,    187,    Plate   XXV. 
Slumgum,  131. 
Smell,  organs  of,  184. 


INDEX — Continued 


221 


Smoking  bees,  should  be  done  care- 

fuUy,  93,  94. 
Smoker,  Corneil,   16,  Plate  II. 

how  to  fill  and  use,  92,  93. 
Social  insects,  27. 

increase  of,  64. 
Solar  wax-extractor,  130,  131. 
Sour  wood,  198. 
Spanish  needle,  204. 
Spraying   fruit   blossoms   with   ar- 
senic, 196. 
Spermatheca,  192,  Plate  XXVI. 
Spermatozoa,  192. 
Spider  flower,  204. 
Spiracles,    188,  Plate  XXVI. 
Spring  dwindling,  154. 
Spur,  Plate  VII. 
Spur  wire  embedder,  86. 
Stained  sections,  in. 
Sting,  193,  Plate  XXVI. 
Stomach,  191.  Plate  XXVI. 
Sumach  blossoms,  Plate  XXIV. 
Storifying,  no. 
Sunflower,  203. 
Super,  n. 

boxes,  209. 

cover,  II,  91. 

description  of,  87. 

filled   with   section  boxes,  Plate 
XV. 

for  comb-honey,  87. 

for  extracted  honey,  87. 

foundation,  17. 

how  to  entice  bees  into,  108. 

how  to  prepare,  90. 

how   to    prepare   and    place   in 
hive,  91. 

partly  filled,  Plate  HI. 

parts  of,  87. 

ready  to  be  filled,  Plate  XTE. 

springs,  88,  90. 
Supers,  15,  83. 

different  kinds  of,  88. 

how  to  take  oflf  when  filled  with 
honey,  101. 
Swammerdam,  207, 


Swarm,  how  to  hive,  66,  68. 

how  to  manage  in  difficult  places, 
69. 

how  to  reconcile  to  new  hive,  70. 

how  to  stop,  66. 

$ize  of  65. 

throwing  dirt  at,  67. 

use,  fountain  pump  with,  67. 

Mr.  West's  device  for  saving,  71. 

when  given  off,  65. 
Swarm-catcher,   the    Manum,    19. 
Swarming,    conditions     that    lead 
to,  65. 

control  by  brushing  out  method, 
77. 

control  by  extracting  honey,  76. 

control  by  giving  room,  76. 

control   by  removing  queen,  79. 

lessened  by  use  of  large  hives,  77. 

necessary     to     produce     comb- 
honey,  75. 

of  bees,  64. 

owing  to  queen  or  workers,  65. 
Swarms,  dividing  of,  78. 
Sweet  clover,  205. 
Swiss  wax  extractor,  131. 
Syrian,  47. 

Syrup,   for   feeding    bees   how    to 
make,  137. 

medicated  for  foul  brood,  177. 

Taking  up  bees,  208. 

Tallow,  wax  adulterant,  134. 

Tarsus,  185. 

Telescope  cover,  15. 

Tenement  hives  for  wintering,  149, 

Tents  for  bee-keepers,  102. 

Termites,  27. 

Thorax,  185. 

Thomapple        blossoms,        Plate 

xxvin. 

Thyme,  230. 

Tibia,  185. 

Tiering  up,  108. 

Tin  pails  for  extracted  honey,  123. 

Tinned  wire,  12. 


228 


INDEX— Continued 


Tongue,  184,  Plate  XXV. 
Tracheae,  189,  Plate   XXVI. 
Trap  for  queen,  75. 
Trap,  queen  and  drone,  19. 
Trees,  196. 
Trochanter,  185. 
Turnip,  202. 

Uncapping,  120. 

Uncapping  cans,  the  Dadant,  121. 
Uncapping  knife,  Bingham,  120. 
Urinary  organs,  191. 

Vagina,  192. 

Van  Deusen    wax -tube    fastener, 

12,  18,  86. 
Varnish  used  as  bee  glue,  61. 
Vas  deferens,   193,  Plate  XXVI. 
Veil,  need  for,  16. 
Village  garden  for  apiary,  22. 

Wasps,  27. 
Watering  bees,  143. 
Wax,  amount  of  honey  required  to 
make,  50. 

bees  hang  in  curtains  to  make,  52 

bees  secreting,  Plate  X. 

the  constituents  of,  51. 

how  to  make  it,  126. 

made  in  the  fields,  52. 

made  when  need  for,  52. 

press,  132,  133. 

the  secretion  of,  50. 

scales,  52. 
Wax-extractors,  130. 
Wax-glands,  52, 191,  Plate  XXVI. 
Wax-pincers,  186,  Plate  VII. 
Wax-plates,  51,  Plates  VI.,  XXV. 
Wax-tube  fastener,  18,  Plate  III. 
Weeds,  203. 
When  to  feed,  136. 


When  to  introduce  a  queen,  159. 
When  to  put  bees  into  cellar,  153. 
White  clover,  200. 
Wild  flowers,  203. 
Willow,  154,  197. 
Wings,  185. 

Wintering    bees    in    single  -  walled 
hives,  145. 

diarrhoea,  179. 

getting  ready  for,  146. 

how  much  food  needed  for,  146. 

in  cellars,  150. 

in  chaff  hives,  148,  Plate  XXII. 

in  hive  boxes,  147. 

in  tenement  hives,  149. 

maxims  for,  154. 

out  doors,  147. 

poor  honey  for,  147. 

spring  dwindling,  154. 

when  to  put  bees  in  the  cellar,  1 53 

when  to  take  bees  out  of  cellar 

153- 

ways  of,  147. 
Wire  embedded  by  heat,  87. 
Wire  embedder,  86,  Plate  III. 
Wire,  tinned,  18,  85. 
Worker,  39,  Plate  V. 

cell  of,  37,  40,  55. 

cocoon  of,  41. 

death  of,  39. 
Worker  eggs,  in  drone  cells,  37 

head  of,  Plate  VI. 

laying,  45,  46. 

leg  of,  Plate  VII. 

life  and  habits  of,  42,  43. 

life-history  of,  40,  41. 

maturity  of,  41. 

moulting  of,  41. 

old  age  and  death  of,  44. 
Workers,  labourers,  27. 


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